Editing James Coburn (section)

==Career==
===Early television work===
Coburn's first television appearance was in 1953 on ''[[Four Star Playhouse]]''.

He was selected for a [[Remington Products]] razor commercial, where he was able to shave off 11 days of beard growth in less than 60 seconds<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thehollywoodinterview.blogspot.com/2008/02/james-coburn-hollywood-interview.html |title=The Hollywood Interview blogsite |publisher=Thehollywoodinterview.blogspot.com |date=February 28, 2008 |access-date=March 14, 2010 |archive-date=June 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090617000126/http://thehollywoodinterview.blogspot.com/2008/02/james-coburn-hollywood-interview.html |url-status=live }}</ref> while joking that he had more teeth to show on camera than the other 12 candidates for the part.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/services/motion-pictures/4857490-1.html |title=Allbusiness.com |publisher=Allbusiness.com |access-date=March 14, 2010}}</ref>

Coburn's film debut came in 1959 as the sidekick of [[Pernell Roberts]] in the [[Randolph Scott]] Western ''[[Ride Lonesome]]''.<ref>{{cite news |work=San Jose Mercury News|title=Coburn's Comfort Zone at Home in Western with Heston and Berenger Supporting|page=6|date=January 22, 1995|first=Ron|last=Miller|quote=JAMES COBURN began his movie career in a saddle 36 years ago, playing the gangly and not-too-bright sidekick to bad guy Pernell Roberts in the 1959 Randolph Scott western "Ride Lonesome."}}</ref> He soon got a job in another Western, ''[[Face of a Fugitive]]'' (1959). ''Filmink'' argued "he made a terrific cowboy and was thus easily castable in the scores of Westerns being made for American TV at the time; indeed, Coburn guest starred in pretty much all of them."<ref name=
"coburn">{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|magazine=Filmink|date=14 February 2025|access-date=14 February 2025|title=Movie Star Cold Streaks: James Coburn|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/movie-star-cold-streaks-james-coburn/}}</ref> These included several episodes of [[NBC]]'s ''[[Bonanza]]'' and appearing twice each on three other NBC Westerns: ''[[Laramie (TV series)|Laramie]]'' with [[Robert Fuller (actor)|Robert Fuller]],''[[Tales of Wells Fargo]]'' with [[Dale Robertson]], one episode in the role of [[Butch Cassidy]]; and ''[[The Restless Gun]]'' with [[John Payne (actor)|John Payne]] in "The Pawn" and "The Way Back", the latter segment alongside ''Bonanza'''s [[Dan Blocker]].<ref>''[[The Restless Gun]]'', DVD, Timeless Media Group</ref> "Butch Cassidy" aired in 1958. He played a rustler in ''[[The Rifleman]]'' - Season 1, Episode 13 - The Young Englishman.

Coburn's third film was a major breakthrough for him, as the knife-wielding Britt in ''[[The Magnificent Seven]]'' (1960), directed by [[John Sturges]] for the [[Mirisch Company]]. Coburn was hired on the recommendation of his friend [[Robert Vaughn]]. During the 1960–61 season, Coburn co-starred with [[Ralph Taeger]] and [[Joi Lansing]] in the NBC adventure/drama series ''[[Klondike (TV series)|Klondike]]'', set in the [[Alaska]]n [[gold rush]] town of [[Skagway, Alaska|Skagway]]. When ''Klondike'' was cancelled, Taeger and Coburn were regrouped as detectives in Mexico in NBC's equally short-lived ''[[Acapulco (1961 TV series)|Acapulco]]''.

Coburn also made two guest appearances on [[CBS]]'s ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'', both times as the murder victim, in "The Case of the Envious Editor" and "The Case of the Angry Astronaut". In 1962, he portrayed Col. Briscoe in the "Hostage Child" of CBS's ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]''.

===Supporting actor in films===
[[File:James Coburn in Charade.jpg|thumb|right|160px|Coburn in ''[[Charade (1963 film)|Charade]]'' (1963)]]
Coburn had a good role in ''[[Hell Is for Heroes (film)|Hell Is for Heroes]]'' (1962), a war film with [[Steve McQueen]]. He followed it with another war film with McQueen, ''[[The Great Escape (film)|The Great Escape]]'' (1963), directed by Sturges for the Mirisches, where Coburn played an Australian POW. For the Mirisches, Coburn narrated ''[[Kings of the Sun]]'' (1963).

Coburn was one of the villains in ''[[Charade (1963 film)|Charade]]'' (1963), starring [[Cary Grant]] and [[Audrey Hepburn]]. He followed that role playing a glib naval officer in [[Paddy Chayefsky]]'s ''[[The Americanization of Emily]]'', replacing [[James Garner]], who had moved up to the lead role when [[William Holden]] withdrew from the production. As a result, Coburn was signed to a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox.<ref>"Entertainment: Coburn Wins Pact, Role in 'High Wind' He'll Star with Anthony Quinn; Mrs. Ames Pens Kidnaping Tale" Hopper, Hedda. ''Los Angeles Times'' June 4, 1964: A10.</ref>

Coburn had another excellent supporting role as a one-armed Indian tracker in ''[[Major Dundee]]'' (1965), directed by [[Sam Peckinpah]] and starring [[Charlton Heston]].

At Fox, he was second-billed in the pirate film ''[[A High Wind in Jamaica (film)|A High Wind in Jamaica]]'' (1965), supporting [[Anthony Quinn]] in the lead role. He had a cameo in the [[black comedy]] ''[[The Loved One (film)|The Loved One]]'' (1965).

===Stardom===
In December 1964 it was announced Coburn would star in Fox's [[List of James Bond parodies and spin-offs|James Bond parody film]] ''[[Our Man Flint]]'' (1966), playing super agent [[Derek Flint]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Best of hollywood |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=30 December 1964 |page=23}}</ref> Producer [[Saul David]] commented, Coburn "is undoubtedly one of the most interesting looking actors in the business today. I would describe him as a cross between [[Humphrey Bogart]] and [[Jean Paul Belmondo]] - a true descendant of that bygone generation of character actors who became leading men by accident... Coburn has a fantastic effect on women filmgoers and I think it's because ladies go more for masculinity and charm than prettiness in a male star.""<ref name="david">{{cite news |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |date=5 February 1965 |title=Coburn just right for 'Our Man Flint' |page=9 Part 4}}</ref> The movie was a big success at the box office on its release in 1966 and established Coburn as a star.

Coburn followed it with ''[[What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?]]'' (1966), a wartime comedy from [[Blake Edwards]], which was made for the Mirisches; Coburn was top billed although the lead was Dick Shawn. It was a commercial disappointment. ''[[Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round]]'' (1966) was a crime movie made at Columbia.

Back at Fox, Coburn made a second Flint film, ''[[In Like Flint]]'' (1967), which was popular, but Coburn did not wish to make any more movies in that series. This has been called a "mistake" by Coburn as films in which he starred in where he did not play Flint were not as successful.<ref name="coburn"/> He went over to Paramount for a Western comedy made through Edwards' company, ''[[Waterhole No. 3]]'' (1967) and the political satire ''[[The President's Analyst]]'' (1967). Neither performed particularly well commercially, but over the years, ''The President's Analyst'' has become a cult film. In 1967, Coburn was voted the 12th-biggest star in Hollywood.<ref>"Star Glitter Is Catching" by Richard L. Coe. ''The Washington Post and Times-Herald'' [Washington, D.C.] January 7, 1968: H1.</ref>

Over at Columbia, Coburn was in a Swinging '60s heist film, ''[[Duffy (film)|Duffy]]'' (1968), which flopped. He was one of several stars who had cameos in ''[[Candy (1968 film)|Candy]]'' (1968), then played a hitman in ''[[Hard Contract]]'' (1969) for Fox, another flop.

Coburn tried a change of pace, an adaptation of a [[Tennessee Williams]] play, ''[[Last of the Mobile Hot Shots]]'' (1970) directed by [[Sidney Lumet]], but the film was not popular.
In July 1970, Richard F Zanuck of Fox dropped the $300,000 option it had with Coburn.<ref>{{cite book|page=[https://archive.org/details/foxthatgotawayt00silv/page/223 223]|title=The Fox that got away: the last days of the Zanuck dynasty at Twentieth Century-Fox|url=https://archive.org/details/foxthatgotawayt00silv|url-access=registration|last=Silverman|first=Stephen M|year=1988|publisher=L. Stuart|isbn=9780818404856}}</ref>

In 1971, Coburn starred in the [[Zapata Western]] ''[[Duck, You Sucker!]]'', with [[Rod Steiger]] and directed by [[Sergio Leone]], as an Irish explosives expert and revolutionary who has fled to Mexico during the time of the [[Mexican Revolution]] in the early 20th century. In 1964, Coburn had said he would do ''[[A Fistful of Dollars]]'' if they paid him $25,000, which was too expensive for the production's tiny budget.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/how-italy-saved-the-western-with-a-fistful-of-dollars/article14396628/|title=How Italy saved the western with A Fistful of Dollars|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=September 19, 2013|access-date=January 31, 2019|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802003537/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/how-italy-saved-the-western-with-a-fistful-of-dollars/article14396628/|url-status=live|last1=Pevere|first1=Geoff}}</ref> ''Duck You Sucker'', also called ''A Fistful of Dynamite'', was not as highly regarded as Leone's four previous Westerns, but was hugely popular in Europe, especially France.

Back in the US, Coburn made another film with Blake Edwards, the thriller ''[[The Carey Treatment]]'' (1972). It was badly cut by MGM and was commercially unsuccessful. So, too, was ''[[The Honkers]]'' (1972), where Coburn played a rodeo rider.

Coburn went back to Italy to make another Western, ''[[A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die]]'' (1973), or ''Massacre at Fort Holman''. He then reteamed with director Sam Peckinpah for the 1973 film ''[[Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid]]'', playing [[Pat Garrett]]. In 1973, he was voted the 23rd-most popular star in Hollywood.<ref>"EASTWOOD SELECTED BOX-OFFICE CHAMPION" ''Los Angeles Times'' January 2, 1974: d17.</ref>

In 1973, Coburn was among the featured celebrities dressed in prison gear on the cover of the album ''[[Band on the Run]]'' made by [[Paul McCartney]] and his band [[Wings (band)|Wings]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/michael-parkinson-james-coburn-story-behind-wings-baffling-cover/ |title=Michael Parkinson and James Coburn? The story behind Wings' baffling cover for Band on the Run|first=Neil|last=McCormick|work=The Telegraph |location=London, England|publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited |access-date=July 2, 2023 |date=May 21, 2020 }}</ref>

Coburn was one of the [[pallbearers]] at the funeral of [[Bruce Lee]] along with Steve McQueen, Bruce's brother, Robert Lee, Peter Chin, [[Dan Inosanto|Danny Inosanto]], and Taky Kimura. Coburn gave a speech: "Farewell, Brother. It has been an honor to share this space in time with you. As a friend and a teacher, you have given to me, have brought my physical, spiritual, and psychological selves together. Thank you. May peace be with you."<ref name=bruce>{{cite web|url=http://www.historylink.org/File/3999//|last=Burrows|first=Alyssa|title=Lee, Bruce (1940-1973), Martial Arts Master and Film Maker|publisher=History Link.org|access-date=April 15, 2017|date=October 21, 2002|archive-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709222216/http://www.historylink.org/File/3999|url-status=live}}</ref>

Coburn was one of several stars in the popular ''[[The Last of Sheila]]'' (1973). He then starred in a series of thrillers: ''[[Harry in Your Pocket]]'' (1974), the debut feature from ''Mission Impossible'' creator Bruce Geller, and ''[[The Internecine Project]]'' (1975). Neither was widely seen.

===Mid-career===
Coburn began to drop back down the credit list: he was third billed in writer-director [[Richard Brooks]]' film ''[[Bite the Bullet (film)|Bite the Bullet]]'' (1975) behind [[Gene Hackman]] and [[Candice Bergen]]. He co-starred with [[Charles Bronson]] in ''[[Hard Times (1975 film)|Hard Times]]'' (1975), the directorial debut of [[Walter Hill (director)|Walter Hill]], but it was very much Bronson's film. The movie was popular.

Coburn played the lead in the action film ''[[Sky Riders]]'' (1976), then played Charlton Heston's antagonist in ''[[The Last Hard Men (film)|The Last Hard Men]]'' (1976). He narrated the official documentary film of the [[1976 Winter Olympics|1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics]], ''[[White Rock (film)|White Rock]]''. He was one of the many stars in ''[[Midway (1976 film)|Midway]]'' (1976), then had the star role in Sam Peckinpah's ''[[Cross of Iron]]'' (1977) playing a German soldier. He finished directing the film because of Peckinpah's constant drunkenness. This critically acclaimed war epic performed poorly in the United States, but was a huge hit in Europe. Peckinpah and Coburn remained close friends until Peckinpah's death in 1984.

Coburn returned to television in 1978 to star in a [[The Dain Curse (miniseries)|three-part miniseries version]] of a [[Dashiell Hammett]] detective novel, ''[[The Dain Curse]]'', tailoring his character to bear a physical resemblance to the author. During the previous year as a spokesman for the [[Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company]], he was paid $500,000 to promote its new product in television advertisements by saying only two words: "Schlitz Light."<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1977/05/27/archives/advertising-a-tough-gay-to-sell-light-beer.html Dougherty, Philip H. "Advertising: A Tough Guy to Sell Light Beer," ''The New York Times'', Friday, May 27, 1977.] Retrieved February 15, 2025.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trivia-library.com/b/what-it-costs-by-barry-tarshis.htm|title=Trivia on What It Costs by Barry Tarshis - Trivia Library|access-date=October 31, 2013|archive-date=November 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102194529/http://www.trivia-library.com/b/what-it-costs-by-barry-tarshis.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In Japan, his masculine appearance was so appealing, he became an icon for its leading cigarette brand. He also supported himself in later years by exporting rare automobiles to Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/nov/20/guardianobituaries.filmnews|title=Obituary: James Coburn|first=Veronica|last=Horwell|date=November 20, 2002|work=The Guardian|access-date=December 14, 2016|archive-date=May 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526202605/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/nov/20/guardianobituaries.filmnews|url-status=live}}</ref> He was deeply interested in Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, and collected sacred Buddhist artwork.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/james-coburn-the-ultimate-sixties-tough-guy | title=Get to know James Coburn, the ultimate Sixties tough guy | first=Sean | last=Macaulay | date=September 3, 2015 | website=British GQ | access-date=July 3, 2019 | archive-date=November 28, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171128172414/http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/james-coburn-the-ultimate-sixties-tough-guy | url-status=live }}</ref> He narrated a film about the [[Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, 16th Karmapa|16th Karmapa]] called ''The Lion's Roar''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Lions-Roar-Narrator-James-Coburn/dp/B000HOMSS6|title=The Lion's Roar|website=Amazon|date=September 19, 2006|access-date=September 1, 2017|archive-date=May 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526202606/https://www.amazon.com/Lions-Roar-Narrator-James-Coburn/dp/B000HOMSS6|url-status=live}}</ref>

Coburn starred in ''[[Firepower (1979 film)|Firepower]]'' (1979) with [[Sophia Loren]], replacing Charles Bronson when the latter pulled out. He had a cameo in ''[[The Muppet Movie]]'' (1979) and had leading roles in ''[[Goldengirl]]'' (1980) and ''[[The Baltimore Bullet]]'' (1980). He was Shirley MacLaine's husband in ''[[Loving Couples (1980 film)|Loving Couples]]'' (1980) and had the lead in a Canadian film, ''[[Crossover (1980 film)|Crossover]]'' (1980).

===Later years===
In 1981, Coburn moved almost entirely into supporting roles, such as those of the villains in both ''[[High Risk (1981 film)|High Risk]]'' (1981) and ''[[Looker]]'' (1981). He hosted a TV series of the horror-anthology type, ''[[Darkroom (TV series)|Darkroom]],'' in 1981 and 1982. According to [[Mr. T]], Coburn was slated to play the Hannibal character on the hit television series ''[[The A-Team]]'', but NBC changed their mind and went with [[George Peppard]]. He supported [[Walter Mondale]]'s campaign in the [[1984 United States presidential election|1984 presidential election]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/11/04/Mixing-politics-with-show-business-makes-for-star-wars-in-Hollywood/5322468392400/ | title=Mixing politics with show business makes for star wars in Hollywood | first=Iris | last=Krasnow | date=November 4, 1984 | website=UPI | access-date=February 15, 2021 | archive-date=February 4, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204090527/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/11/04/Mixing-politics-with-show-business-makes-for-star-wars-in-Hollywood/5322468392400/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Coburn also portrayed Dwight Owen Barnes in the PC video game ''[[C.E.O. (video game)|C.E.O.]],'' developed by [[Artdink]] as a spin-off of its [[A-Train]] series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/ceo|title=C.E.O. for DOS (1995)|website=MobyGames|access-date=January 16, 2019|archive-date=January 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117070045/https://www.mobygames.com/game/ceo|url-status=live}}</ref>

Because of his severe [[rheumatoid arthritis]], Coburn appeared in very few films during the 1980s, despite continuing to work during his final years. This disease had left Coburn's body deformed and in pain. He told [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] in a 1999 interview: "You start to turn to stone. See, my hand is twisted now because tendons have shortened." For 20 years, Coburn tried a host of both conventional and unconventional treatments, but none of them worked. "There was so much pain that...every time I stood up, I would break into a sweat," he recalled. Then, in 1996, Coburn tried [[methylsulfonylmethane]] (MSM), a sulfur compound available at most health food stores. The result, he said, was nothing short of miraculous. "You take this stuff and it starts right away," said Coburn. "Everyone I've given it to has had a positive response." Though the MSM did not cure Coburn's arthritis, it did relieve his pain, allowing him to move more freely and resume his career.<ref>{{cite web | title=Holistic Treatment Relieved Coburn's Pain | first=John | last=McKenzie | date=November 19, 2002 | url=https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=130005&page=1 | publisher=ABC News | access-date=February 15, 2021 | archive-date=January 25, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125145750/https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=130005&page=1 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Coburn beats back tough disease | first=Ann | last=Oldenburg | work=USA Today | date=December 29, 1998 | page=02.D}}</ref>

Coburn was in a four-year relationship with British singer-songwriter [[Lynsey de Paul]] from the late 1970s. They co-wrote her songs "Losin' the Blues for You" and "Melancholy Melon" that appeared on her album ''[[Tigers and Fireflies]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11137014/Lynsey-de-Paul-obituary.html | title=Lynsey de Paul - obituary | date=October 2, 2014 | work=The Telegraph | access-date=July 21, 2019 | archive-date=July 21, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721085831/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11137014/Lynsey-de-Paul-obituary.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Coburn resumed his film career in the 1990s, where he appeared in supporting roles in ''[[Young Guns II]]'', ''[[Hudson Hawk]]'', ''[[Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit]]'', ''[[Maverick (film)|Maverick]]'', ''[[Eraser (film)|Eraser]]'', ''[[The Nutty Professor (1996 film)|The Nutty Professor]]'', ''[[Affliction (1997 film)|Affliction]]'', and ''[[Payback (1999 film)|Payback]]''. His performance as Glen Whitehouse in ''Affliction'' earned him an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]].<ref>{{cite news | title=James Coburn, 74; Actor Won an Oscar Late in His Career | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-19-me-coburn19-story.html | first=Louis | last=Sahagun | date=November 19, 2002 | access-date=November 3, 2020 | work=Los Angeles Times | language=en-US | archive-date=January 22, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122001255/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-19-me-coburn19-story.html | url-status=live }}</ref> One of his final roles was in the [[Pixar]] animated film ''[[Monsters, Inc.]]'' as the voice of Henry J. Waternoose III.