Anthony James (actor)

Anthony James (born July 22, 1942) is an American actor. He specialized in creepy, sleazy villains in films and television, many of them Westerns.

Career

James had previously made several guest appearances on the CBS-TV western series Gunsmoke during the series' run, appearing in different roles, most often playing the character of Elbert Moses. Other shows he has guest-starred on include: The High Chaparral, Bonanza, The Rookies; the short-lived ABC-TV sitcom Holmes and Yo-Yo, which starred John Schuck, and CBS's Beauty and the Beast, starring Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton.

James has also appeared in a number of major feature films. His first major role was as Ralph, the diner counterman, in the 1967 classic Oscar-winning movie In the Heat of the Night, which co-starred Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. Subsequent film appearances have included P.J. (which starred George Peppard) (1968), ...tick...tick...tick... (1970). James is also known for his role as one of the lynch mobsters in Clint Eastwood's High Plains Drifter (1973), as well as the films Burnt Offerings (1976), Blue Thunder (1983), Nightmares (1983), and The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991).