James Drury
Acting
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.
Born: April 18, 1934
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, USA
Known For
Filmography
as Buffalo Bill Cody (voice)/"The Mysterious Traveler" (voice)
as JT Coffee
as Rider
as Riverboat Poker Player (uncredited)
as Ethan Emerson
as Ethan Emerson
as Captain Tom Price
as Captain Tom Price
as Deacon
as Doctor
as The Range Boss (The Virginian)
as Captain Spike Ryerson
as Man from Virginia
as Gil Turner
as Joe Baker
as Ramrod (archive footage)
as Self
as The Virginian (uncredited)
as Mr. Clifton
as Al
as Sergeant Cooley
as The Virginian
as The Virginian
as The Virginian
as The "Virginian"
as Billy Hammond
as Emmet
as Walter Powell
as George Dodds
as Jim Weaver
as Bert Pace
as Paul Travers
as Frank Crotty
as Kenley
as Rance
as Johnny Adler
as Paul Ridgely
as Clay
as Lloyd Carpenter
as Johnny Kaler
as Jesse James, Jr.
as John Ward
as Eddy King
as Tony DeVries
as Langley Philip Beaymont
as Arthur Harding
as Ray Reno
as Jess McHugh
as Roy Richards
as Crewman Strong
as Lieutenant (uncredited)
as Anton Cavrek
as Michael Grimes
as Bill Magruder
as Booth Rider
as Johnny Red
as Jerry Cass
as Tom
as Hospital Attendant (uncredited)
as Deputy Joe Monroe
as Tony
as Bob Prentiss