Anthony James (actor)
Anthony James (born James Anthony; July 22, 1942 – May 26, 2020) was an American character actor who specialized in playing villains in films and television, many of them Westerns. Early life. Anthony James was born James Anthony in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on July 22, 1942, as the only child of Greek immigrants George Anthony (1893–1951) and Marika Palla (1913–2008). He later reversed the order of his given name and surname for his acting career. Career. James made several guest appearances on the Western series "Gunsmoke" during the series' run, appearing in different roles, most often playing  the character of Elbert Moses. Other shows he has guest-starred on include "Hawaii Five-O"; "The High Chaparral"; "Bonanza"; "The Rookies"; "Charlie's Angels"; "Starsky and Hutch;" "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century"; "Holmes & Yoyo";" The A-Team"; "Hunter (1984)"; "Quincy, M.E."; ""; and "Beauty and the Beast". James also appeared in a number of major feature films. His first major role was as Ralph, the diner counterman in 1967's "In the Heat of the Night", which was awarded an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1968. This movie beat out the well-known movies "The Graduate", "Bonnie and  Clyde", and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" for Best Picture. His subsequent film appearances included "P.J." (1968) and "...tick...tick...tick..." (1970). He played one of the lynch mobsters in "High Plains Drifter" (1973), and also appeared as the evil chauffeur in the horror film "Burnt Offerings" (1976). He had roles in "Blue Thunder" (1983), " Nightmares" (1983), and "" (1991). James also appeared in Poison's 1988 music video for their song "Fallen Angel." He retired from acting in the early 1990s, with his last film role in Clint Eastwood's 1992 "Unforgiven", which was awarded an Academy Award for  Best Picture in 1993. It is notable that Anthony James's first and last major film appearances were each in Academy Award-winning films for Best Picture. After retirement to Arlington, Massachusetts, he concentrated on painting. In 1994, he published a book of art and poetry, "Language of the Heart". His autobiography, "Acting My Face", was published in 2014. Death. James died from cancer in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 26, 2020, at the age of 77.