Biography
James Drury (1934–2020) was an American actor. He is best known for playing the title role in the Western television series The Virginian, broadcast on NBC from 1962 to 1971.
Born James Child Drury Jr. in New York City, he studied drama at New York University and completed his degree at UCLA. He began his screen career in 1955 with uncredited roles in films including Blackboard Jungle and The Tender Trap, followed by credited parts in Forbidden Planet (1956) as Crewman Strong, Love Me Tender (1956) and Pollyanna (1960).
Drury appeared in numerous television Westerns and guest roles on series such as Gunsmoke, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Perry Mason. Later credits include Ride the High Country (1962), Walker, Texas Ranger (1993) and The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993). He was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers in 1991.
