James Best
Biography
James Best was an American actor, whose career spanned seven decades of television. He began his contract career with Universal Studios in 1949. Best's long career in films started in 1950, during which he appeared primarily in Westerns. He played opposite Audie Murphy in the film Kansas Raiders, released in 1950. Best's acting credits include numerous roles in television and film, with a total of 154 known credits. He was born on July 26, 1926, in Powderly, Kentucky, USA, and passed away on April 6, 2015, at the age of 88.
Career overview
James Best began his acting career in films in 1950. He appeared primarily in Westerns, playing opposite Audie Murphy in Kansas Raiders. Best's long career spanned seven decades of television, during which he appeared as a guest on various country music and talk shows.
As one of the busiest actors in Hollywood, Best worked under contract with Universal Studios, where he met several actors. His extensive filmography includes numerous roles, with a total of 154 known credits. Best's versatility as an actor allowed him to work in various capacities, including television, film, character, voice, and stage acting.
Throughout his career, Best demonstrated his range as a performer, taking on multiple roles and working behind the camera as a writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician. His contributions to the entertainment industry spanned multiple genres and formats, cementing his status as a prolific and accomplished actor.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
170 titles- Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists! (2021) as Self
- The Sweeter Side of Life (2013) as Paddy Kerrigan
- Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia (2013) as Self (archive footage)
- Return of the Killer Shrews (2012) as Thorne Sherman
- Return of the Killer Shrews (2012) Writer
- Moondance Alexander (2007) as McClancy
- Hot Tamale (2006) as Hank Larson
- CMT: Inside Fame (2005)
- The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller (2002) as Sgt. David Brent (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood (2000) as Rosco P. Coltrane
- The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! (1997) as Boss / Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
- E! True Hollywood Story (1996)
- Death Mask (1995) as Wilbur Johnson
- Death Mask (1995) Writer
- B.L. Stryker (1989)
- In the Heat of the Night (1988)
- The Dukes (1983) as Rosco Coltrane (voice)
- Enos (1980)
- The Dukes of Hazzard (1979) as Rosco P. Coltrane
- The Dukes of Hazzard (1979) Director
- Centennial (1978)
- Hooper (1978) as Cully
- Hooper (1978) Co-Writer
- The End (1978) as Pacemaker Patient
- The End (1978) Associate Producer
- Rolling Thunder (1977) as Texan
- Gator (1976) Production Assistant
- Nickelodeon (1976) as Jim
- Ode to Billy Joe (1976) as Dewey Barksdale
- The Savage Bees (1976) as Pellegrino
- The Runaway Barge (1975) as Bingo Washington
- The Manhunter (1974)
- Savages (1974) as Sheriff Bert Hamilton
- Hawkins (1973) as Sheriff John Early
- Sounder (1972) as Sheriff Charlie Young
- The Brain Machine (1972) as Rev. Emory Neill
- Run, Simon, Run (1970) as Henry Burroughs
- The Mod Squad (1968) as Clay Lynch
- Lancer (1968)
- Firecreek (1968) as Drew
- The Guns of Will Sonnett (1967)
- First to Fight (1967) as Sergeant Carnavan
- Felony Squad (1966)
- The Green Hornet (1966) as Yale Barton
- Hawk (1966)
- Three on a Couch (1966) as Dr. Ben Mizer
- Honey West (1965) as Vince Zale
- Shenandoah (1965) as Carter, Rebel Soldier
- Black Spurs (1965) as Ralph Elkins
- Daniel Boone (1964) as Jethro Wyatt
- Flipper (1964)
- The Quick Gun (1964) as Scotty Wade
- The Fugitive (1963) as Dan Murray
- Burke's Law (1963) as Tucson, 'The Cowboy'
- Temple Houston (1963) as Gotch
- Redigo (1963)
- Shock Corridor (1963) as Stuart
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) as Tom Carmody
- The Virginian (1962) as Curt Westley
- Combat! (1962) as Trenton
- The Gallant Men (1962)
- General Electric True (1962)
- Black Gold (1962) as Jericho Larkin
- Ben Casey (1961)
- Whispering Smith (1961)
- The Andy Griffith Show (1960) as Jim Lindsey
- Surfside 6 (1960)
- The Barbara Stanwyck Show (1960) as Joe
- Stagecoach West (1960)
- Pony Express (1960) as Bart Gentry
- Overland Trail (1960)
- Michael Shayne (1960)
- The Mountain Road (1960) as Niergaard
- Aftermath (1960) as Hardy Coulter
- Bonanza (1959) as Sheriff Vern Schaler
- The Twilight Zone (1959) as Jeff Myrtlebank
- The Twilight Zone (1959) as Billy-Ben Turner
- Rawhide (1959) as Willie Cain
- Rawhide (1959) as Brock Quade
- The Rebel (1959) as Ted Evans
- The Rebel (1959) as Abel Waares
- Laramie (1959)
- Hawaiian Eye (1959)
- Lock-Up (1959)
- Startime (1959) as Duke
- Black Saddle (1959) as Ben Travers
- The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1959) as Jovan Wilanskov
- Men Into Space (1959)
- The Man and the Challenge (1959)
- Verboten! (1959) as Sgt. David Brent
- Ride Lonesome (1959) as Billy John
- The David Niven Show (1959) as Boland
- The Killer Shrews (1959) as Thorne Sherman
- Cast a Long Shadow (1959) as Sam Mullen
- The Rifleman (1958)
- Bat Masterson (1958) as Joe Best
- Bat Masterson (1958) as Danny Dakota
- The Texan (1958)
- Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958) as Stoner
- Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958) as Luke Perry
- 77 Sunset Strip (1958)
- Bronco (1958)
- Behind Closed Doors (1958) as Webb
- The Left Handed Gun (1958) as Tom Folliard
- The Naked and the Dead (1958) as Rhidges
- Cole Younger, Gunfighter (1958) as Kit Caswell
- Perry Mason (1957) as Allan Winford
- Perry Mason (1957) as Martin Potter
- Have Gun, Will Travel (1957)
- Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1957) as Jack Milhoan
- Tombstone Territory (1957)
- Trackdown (1957)
- Last of the Badmen (1957) as Ted Hamilton
- Hot Summer Night (1957) as Kermit
- Man on the Prowl (1957) as Doug Gerhardt
- West Point (1956)
- Forbidden Planet (1956) as Crewman (uncredited)
- The Rack (1956) as Millard Chilson Cassidy
- Come Next Spring (1956) as Bill Jackson
- Gaby (1956) as Jim
- Calling Homicide (1956) as Det. Arnie Arnhoff
- Cheyenne (1955)
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Beal
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Charlie Noon
- The Millionaire (1955) as Fred Morgan
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Norman Frayne
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Hennessy
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Bish Darby
- Buffalo Bill Jr. (1955)
- Frontier (1955)
- Seven Angry Men (1955) as Jason Brown
- Top of the World (1955) as Col. French's Orderly (uncredited)
- Climax! (1954) as Shag
- Stories of the Century (1954)
- The Lineup (1954)
- The Caine Mutiny (1954) as Lt. JG Jorgensen
- The Yellow Tomahawk (1954) as Private Bliss
- The Raid (1954) as Lt. Robinson
- Riders to the Stars (1954) as Dr. Sidney K. Fuller
- They Rode West (1954) as Lt. Finlay (uncredited)
- Return from the Sea (1954) as Barr
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Hardy Coulter
- City of Bad Men (1953) as Deputy Gig (uncredited)
- Seminole (1953) as Corp. Gerad
- Column South (1953) as Primrose
- Skip Taylor (1953)
- Hopalong Cassidy (1952)
- Cavalcade of America (1952)
- Cavalcade of America (1952) as Harry
- Cavalcade of America (1952) as Slate Morley
- The Battle at Apache Pass (1952) as Cpl. Hassett
- The Cimarron Kid (1952) as Bitter Creek Dalton
- Francis Goes to West Point (1952) as Corporal Ransom
- Flat Top (1952) as Radio Operator
- Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair (1952) as Marvin Johnson
- Steel Town (1952) as Joe Rakich
- The Adventures of Kit Carson (1951)
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951)
- Target Unknown (1951) as Sgt. Ralph Phelps
- Air Cadet (1951) as Jerry Connell
- Apache Drums (1951) as Bert Keon
- Lux Video Theatre (1950) as Clem Wallace
- The Gene Autry Show (1950)
- Winchester '73 (1950) as Crater
- Kansas Raiders (1950) as Cole Younger
- Comanche Territory (1950) as Sam
- One Way Street (1950) as Driver (uncredited)
- I Was a Shoplifter (1950)
- Peggy (1950) as Frank Addison
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is James Best best known for?
James Best is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Hot Tamale (2006), You Are Not Alone (1978), Toy Story (1995), The Principal (1987).
When and where was James Best born?
James Best was born on July 26, 1926 in Powderly, Kentucky, USA. They passed away on April 6, 2015.
How many credits does James Best have?
James Best has accumulated over 170 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1950 to 2021.
What is James Best's background in cinema and television?
James Best was an American actor, whose career spanned seven decades of television. He began his contract career with Universal Studios in 1949. Best's long career in films started in 1950, during which he appeared primarily in Westerns. He played opposite Audie Murphy in the film Kansas Raiders, released in 1950. Best...
James Best by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) — aged about 24
- The Twilight Zone (1959) as Jeff Myrtlebank — aged about 32
- The Twilight Zone (1959) as Billy-Ben Turner — aged about 32
- Hawkins (1973) as Sheriff John Early — aged about 46
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) as Tom Carmody — aged about 35
- Combat! (1962) as Trenton — aged about 35
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