James Drury

ActorWriter Apr 18 (died age 85) New York City, New York, USA 1950–2025 (75 year career)

6.3 avg rating

Biography

James Child Drury Jr. (April 18, 1934 – April 6, 2020) was an American actor. He is best known for having played the title role in the 90-minute weekly Western television series The Virginian, which was broadcast on NBC from 1962 to 1971. Drury was born in New York City, the son of James Child Drury and Beatrice Crawford Drury. His father was a New York University professor of marketing. He grew up between New York City and Salem, Oregon, where his mother owned a farm. Drury contracted polio …

Known For

Film

Maverick

Riverboat Poker Player (uncredited)

Film

Forbidden Planet

Crewman Strong

Film

Ride the High Country

Billy Hammond

Film

Pollyanna

George Dodds

Film

Blackboard Jungle

Hospital Attendant (uncredited)

Film

The Last Wagon

6.5 1956

Film

Love Me Tender

Ray Reno

Film

The Virginian

The "Virginian"

Filmography

Acting (68)

Movies (31)

The Cartoon Cowboys: Spirit of the Alamo

2015

as Buffalo Bill Cody (voice)/"The Mysterious Traveler" (voice)

Hell to Pay

as JT Coffee

The Virginian

as Rider

Maverick

as Riverboat Poker Player (uncredited)

6.9

Walker, Texas Ranger: One Riot, One Ranger

1993

as Captain Tom Price

6.5

The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw

1991

as Jim

4.6

Return to the Titanic

1981

When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

1979

as Self

The Meanest Men in the West

1978

as The Range Boss (The Virginian)

4.1

The Bull of the West

1972

as Man from Virginia

5.4

The Devil and Miss Sarah

1971

as Gil Turner

6.0

Breakout

1970

as Joe Baker

Backtrack!

1969

as Ramrod (archive footage)

The Young Warriors

as Sergeant Cooley

The Final Hour

as The Virginian

The Brazen Bell

1964

as The Virginian

Ride the High Country

1962

as Billy Hammond

7.0

The Devil's Children

1962

as The Virginian

Third of a Man

1962

as Emmet

Pollyanna

as George Dodds

Ten Who Dared

as Walter Powell

Toby Tyler or Ten Weeks with a Circus

1960

as Jim Weaver

6.1

Rapids Ahead/Bear Country

1960

Good Day for a Hanging

1959

as Paul Ridgely

6.2

Bitter Heritage

1958

as Jesse James, Jr.

Bernardine

1957

as Langley Philip Beaymont

Forbidden Planet

as Crewman Strong

Love Me Tender

as Ray Reno

The Last Wagon

Diane

as Lieutenant (uncredited)

5.8

Blackboard Jungle

1955

as Hospital Attendant (uncredited)

6.9

Television (37)

Titanic: Secrets of the Shipwreck

2025

as Self (archive footage)

Walker, Texas Ranger

1993

as Captain Tom Price

7.0

The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.

1993

as Ethan Emerson

7.0

Kung Fu: The Legend Continues

1993

as Deacon

6.7

Firehouse

1974

as Captain Spike Ryerson

5.0

Alias Smith and Jones

It Takes a Thief

as Mr. Clifton

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

1968

as The Virginian (uncredited)

6.6

Ironside

1967

as Al

6.8

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

as Self

7.4

The Merv Griffin Show

as Self

The Virginian

as The "Virginian"

The Mike Douglas Show

as Self

Stagecoach West

as 'Stace'

Rawhide

as Kenley

The Detectives

The Rebel

as Bert Pace

Lock-Up

as Frank Crotty

Bourbon Street Beat

The Rifleman

as Lloyd Carpenter

Lawman

as Stan Bates

Bronco

as John Smith

The Texan

as Johnny Kaler

Perry Mason

as Eddy King

Have Gun, Will Travel

as Tony DeVries

Wagon Train

as Justin Claiborne

Trackdown

as John Ward

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

1957

as Arthur Harding

6.2

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

as Jess McHugh

Cheyenne

as Bill Magruder

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

as Michael Grimes

Gunsmoke

as Booth Rider

The 20th Century Fox Hour

1955

as Anton Cavrek

5.4

The Wonderful World of Disney

as Deputy Joe Monroe

Letter to Loretta

as Tony

The Red Skelton Show

as Self - Auctioneer

The Bob Hope Show

as Self

Crew (1)

Movies (1)

Return to the Titanic

1981

Writer