 |
James Best
Age: 83
Height: 6' 1"
Birth Place: Powderly, Kentucky, USA
Born: Jul. 26th, 1926
+ Add to My Celebs
|
James Best's Main TV Roles
NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at
IMDB
BIOGRAPHY: American character actor and teacher. Born Jules Guy in Powderly, Kentucky, on July 26, 1926, he was orphaned at three and adopted by Armen and Essa Best, who re-named him James K. Best and raised him in Corydon, Indiana. Following high school he worked briefly as a metalworker before joining the Army shortly after World War II, in December, 1945. According to Best, he first acted in a European tour of "My Sister Eileen" directed by Arthur Penn (I). Upon his return to the U.S., he toured in road and stock companies in plays and musicals, and was finally spotted by a scout from Universal Pictures, who put him under contract. A handsome young man, his rural inflections perhaps kept him from frequent leading man roles. During the 1950s and '60s, he was a familiar face in movies and television in a wide range of roles, from Western bad guys to craven cowards and country bumpkins. Physical ailments curtailed his work for a long period late in his career, and he established a well-respected acting workshop in Los Angeles. He also served as artist-in-residence at the University of Mississippi, teaching and directing. He worked in both acting and producing capacities for Burt Reynolds (I) on several of the latter's films in the late 1970s, before taking on his greatest commercial success. Although the "The Dukes of Hazzard" (1979) TV series was far beneath his talents, his role as Sheriff Roscoe Coltrane was the part that gave him his greatest fame. He continued teaching, both in Hollywood and later in Florida (at the University of Central Florida). Semi-retired, he makes personal appearances and exhibits his paintings.
TRIVIA:
- He and his wife 'Dorothy Best' (qv), along with Kevin Lang, have formed their own Production Company. Called "Best Friend Films," the company specializes in high definition production, featuring the Panasonic Varicam, with a Pro 35 lens adapter, which enables them to use Panavision 35mm film lenses on a digital camera. They also feature an HD online edit suite, making them a "one stop shop in HD production for the Independent Producer.
- The sixth of seven children, his mother died when he was 3 and he was taken to an orphanage when his Kentucky-born coal-mining father, an alcoholic, could no longer keep the family together. He was adopted at age 5 by Armen and Essa Best of Indiana.
- He formed the first school to teach actors Motion Picture Technique in the 1970s. He taught in Hollywood for 25 years and worked with such prominent stars as 'Burt Reynolds (I)' (qv), 'Clint Eastwood' (qv), 'Gary Busey' (qv), 'Teri Garr' (qv), 'Lindsay Wagner (I)' (qv), 'Farrah Fawcett' (qv), and 'Quentin Tarantino' (qv).
- Cousin of singers 'Don Everly' (qv) and 'Phil Everly' (qv).
- Director 'Quentin Tarantino' (qv) has said that the work of Best "taught me how to act". Ironically, when Tarantino appeared in a 1990s Broadway revival of the play "Wait Until Dark", he received some of his worst acting reviews ever.
- A former B-17 gunner.
- The son of a coal miner.
- Father of 'Janeen Damian' (qv).
James Best Photos | powered by  |
Previous |
Next (1)
James Best Fans [8]
Facebook
Twitter
