Editing James Coburn (section)

===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.