JAMES COBURNFew others held the screen like Oscar-winning actor JamesCoburn, who died at the age of 74 on 18 November, 2002.He played tough-guy villains in hit films such as ‘TheMagnificent Seven’ and ‘The Great Escape’, delighting audiences the world over.During an extraordinary career that spanned nearly half acentury, silver-haired Coburn produced 135 films and, in 1997, won an Oscar forhis portrayal of an abusive, alcoholic father in the powerful drama‘Affliction’.He also lent his distinctive gravel-voice to a series ofadvertising campaigns, as well as appearing on the cover of Paul McCartney’s1973 Wings album ‘Band on the Run’.“He was a hell of an actor,” recalled his manager, HillardElkins. “He had a great sense of humour and those performances will beremembered for a very long time.”James Harrison Coburn was born on 31 August, 1928, inNebraska, USA. He grew up in California and majored in acting at Los AngelesCity College, before going on to make his stage debut at the La JollaPlayhouse.He was a regular in television Westerns and stageproductions during the 1950s, guesting in a series of well-known American TVseries such as ‘Wagon Train’, ‘The Rifleman’ and ‘Studio One’. However, it wasnot until 1959 that he made his first appearance on the big screen with thelow-budget Western ‘Ride Lonesome’.The following year saw him become a household name as Brittin ‘The Magnificent Seven’ alongside co-stars Charles Bronson and Steve McQueen.Three years later, in 1963, the three stars, as well as thefilm’s director, producer and composer, re-grouped to produce what ultimatelybecame Mr Coburn’s most famous movie, ‘The Great Escape’.Now a bona fide star in his own right, Mr Coburn went on tostar in the 007 spy-spoof, ‘Our Man Flint’ in 1966, which even spawned asequel, ‘In Like Flint’. He also won praise for his roles in ‘Pat Garrett andBilly the Kid’ and ‘The President’s Analyst’, which he also produced.The Eighties saw Mr Coburn virtually disappear from the screenaltogether as severe rheumatoid arthritis took hold and he instead brieflyturned his attentions to song-writing with then-partner Lynsey De Paul.However, by the 1990s, after claiming to have healed himselfwith a dietary supplement, he crashed back onto the big screen with a series ofblockbusters including ‘Maverick’, ‘Sister Act 2’ and ‘The Nutty Professor’.Further films followed, as well as a much-deserved Oscar,until, on 18 November 2002, a heart attack finally claimed his life. He was 74.Mr Coburn’s extraordinary legacy of accomplishments as an actoris perhaps all the more remarkable due to his 10-year struggle with arthritis,which left one hand permanently crippled but was ultimately overcome.Besides acting, which he himself once described as “the onlything I can really do”, Mr Coburn’s passions in life purportedly included martialarts, card playing and fine Cuban cigars.He was the original choice for Hannibal in the smash UStelevision series ‘The A-Team’ but the role later went to George Peppard.It was perhaps a true measure of his outstanding actingability that in one of his best-loved films, ‘The Magnificent Seven’, heonly had eleven lines.
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