James Drury
Acting
- Born:
- 1934-04-18
- Died:
- 2020-04-06
- Place of birth:
- New York City, New York, USA
Biography
James Child Drury Jr. (April 18, 1934 – April 6, 2020) was an American actor. He is best known for having played the title role in the 90-minute weekly Western television series The Virginian, which was broadcast on NBC from 1962 to 1971. Drury was born in New York City, the son of James Child Drury and Beatrice Crawford Drury. His father was a New York University professor of marketing. He grew up between New York City and Salem, Oregon, where his mother owned a farm. Drury contracted polio at the age of 10. He studied drama at New York University and took additional classes at UCLA to complete his degree after he began acting in films at MGM. On February 7, 1957, Drury married Cristall Othones, and fathered two sons, Timothy and James III. The couple divorced on November 23, 1964 and on April 27, 1968, he married Phyllis Jacqueline Mitchell; the marriage ended in divorce on January 30, 1979. His third marriage was to Carl Ann Head on July 30, 1979; it lasted until her death on August 25, 2019. Drury had three stepchildren from his previous marriages, a stepdaughter, Rhonda Brown, and two stepsons, Frederick Drury and Gary Schero. Drury died from natural causes on April 6, 2020.
Known For
Filmography
Titanic: Secrets of the Shipwreck
The Cartoon Cowboys: Spirit of the Alamo
Hell to Pay
The Virginian
Maverick
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
Walker, Texas Ranger: One Riot, One Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues
The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw
Return to the Titanic
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
The Meanest Men in the West
Firehouse
The Bull of the West
The Devil and Miss Sarah
Alias Smith and Jones
Breakout
Backtrack!
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
It Takes a Thief
Ironside
The Young Warriors
Hollywood Squares
The Final Hour
The Brazen Bell
The Devil's Children
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Merv Griffin Show
The Virginian
Third of a Man
Ride the High Country
The Mike Douglas Show
Ten Who Dared
Rapids Ahead/Bear Country
Stagecoach West
Pollyanna
Toby Tyler or Ten Weeks with a Circus
The Detectives
Bourbon Street Beat
The Rebel
Lock-Up
Black Saddle
Rawhide
Good Day for a Hanging
Lawman
The Rifleman
The Texan
The Ed Wynn Show
Bronco
Steve Canyon
Bitter Heritage
Trackdown
Perry Mason
Wagon Train
Have Gun, Will Travel
Bernardine
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Love Me Tender
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Broken Arrow
The Last Wagon
Forbidden Planet
Diane
The Tender Trap
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Cheyenne
Gunsmoke
Blackboard Jungle
The Wonderful World of Disney
Letter to Loretta
The Red Skelton Show
Cameo Theatre
The Bob Hope Show