Character actor Anthony James was born on July 22nd, 1942 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Tall and lanky, with a rough, pockmarked face, a lean, stringy build, greasy dark hair and an extremely edgy'n'intense screen presence, James was often cast in Westerns as really scary, sleazy and disgusting villains. James was especially memorable as the hateful racist diner counterman in the outstanding Dans la chaleur de la nuit (1967). Other noteworthy parts include a slimy gay hitchhiker in the cult classic Point limite zéro (1971), a wimpy priest in La poussière, la sueur et la poudre (1972), a scuzzy outlaw in L'homme des hautes plaines (1973), a deranged psycho in The Teacher (1974), a creepy chauffeur in the spooky haunted house horror chiller Trauma (1976), and the vicious leader of a gang of ferocious barbarians in the strictly so-so science fiction outing Ravagers (1979). James was hilarious in a rare change-of-pace good guy role as a heroic cannibal (!) in the amusing tongue-in-cheek post-nuke sci-fi romp World Gone Wild (1987). He was likewise funny parodying his evil persona in Y a-t-il un flic pour sauver le président? (1991). Among the many TV shows James did guest spots on are Mariés, deux enfants (1987), La belle et la bête (1987), Star Trek: La nouvelle génération (1987), Simon et Simon (1981), L'agence tous risques (1983), Riptide (1984), L'homme qui tombe à pic (1981), Rick Hunter (1984), Buck Rogers (1979), Quincy (1976), Drôles de dames (1976), Vegas (1978), Starsky et Hutch (1975), Section 4 (1975), L'homme de fer (1967), Hawaï, police d'état (1968), Bonanza (1959), Gunsmoke (1955) and La grande vallée (1965). His last film appearance to date was as the mean owner of a seedy bordello in Clint Eastwood's acclaimed Western Impitoyable (1992). After voluntarily quitting acting in the early 90s, Anthony James has since pursued a successful career as an artist. His paintings have been exhibited in galleries in such major cities as New York, Boston and Miami.
