Biography
James Coco (1930–1987) was an American stage and screen actor. Born James Emil Coco in New York City, he began acting after high school and trained at HB Studio. He made his Broadway debut in Hotel Paradiso (1957) and received early recognition with an Obie Award for the 1961 Off-Broadway production The Moon in Yellow River.
Coco achieved success in plays by Neil Simon, including a Tony Award nomination for The Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1969), written for him. He appeared in Simon's films Murder by Death (1976), The Cheap Detective (1978) and Only When I Laugh (1981), the last earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His other film roles include A New Leaf (1971) as Uncle Harry, Man of La Mancha (1972) and The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984). On television he guest-starred in series such as Murder, She Wrote, The Love Boat, St. Elsewhere (for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award) and Who's the Boss?.
