---
name: "James Drury"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/james-drury"
fi1m_id: "james-drury"
imdb_id: "nm0238628"
tmdb_id: 123524
wikidata_id: "Q487514"
roles: []
born: "18 April 1934"
died: "6 April 2020"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-25T07:41:24.805612+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# James Drury

## Identity

James Drury

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/james-drury
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** james-drury
- **IMDb ID:** nm0238628
- **TMDB ID:** 123524
- **Wikidata ID:** Q487514
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Drury, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q487514, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0238628/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/123524

Actor. Born 18 April 1934 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 6 April 2020.

## Details

- **Born:** 18 April 1934, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 6 April 2020
- **Also known as:** James Child Drury Jr.
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Drury, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q487514, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0238628/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/123524

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*Forbidden Planet*](https://film.one/film/forbidden-planet.md) (81)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## 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.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Forbidden Planet* (1956), Fi1m 81, as Crewman Strong — [page](https://film.one/film/forbidden-planet.md)

## Complete filmography (67)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Cartoon Cowboys: Spirit of the Alamo* (2015), as Buffalo Bill Cody (voice)/"The Mysterious Traveler" (voice)
- *Hell to Pay* (2005), as JT Coffee
- *The Virginian* (2000), as Rider
- *Maverick* (1994), as Riverboat Poker Player (uncredited)
- *The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.* (1993), series, as Ethan Emerson
- *Walker, Texas Ranger* (1993), series, as Captain Tom Price
- *Walker, Texas Ranger: One Riot, One Ranger* (1993), as Captain Tom Price
- *Kung Fu: The Legend Continues* (1993), series, as Deacon, Doctor
- *The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw* (1991), as Jim
- *Return to the Titanic* (1981), Writer
- *The Meanest Men in the West* (1978), as The Range Boss (The Virginian)
- *Firehouse* (1974), series, as Captain Spike Ryerson
- *The Bull of the West* (1972), as Man from Virginia
- *The Devil and Miss Sarah* (1971), as Gil Turner
- *Alias Smith and Jones* (1971), series, as Sheriff Lom Trevors, Sheriff Tankersley
- *Breakout* (1970), as Joe Baker
- *Backtrack!* (1969), as Ramrod (archive footage)
- *Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In* (1968), series, as The Virginian (uncredited)
- *It Takes a Thief* (1968), series, as Mr. Clifton
- *Ironside* (1967), series, as Al
- *The Young Warriors* (1967), as Sergeant Cooley
- *The Final Hour* (1965), as The Virginian
- *The Brazen Bell* (1964), as The Virginian
- *The Devil's Children* (1962), as The Virginian
- *The Virginian* (1962), series, as The "Virginian"
- *Third of a Man* (1962), as Emmet
- *Ride the High Country* (1962), as Billy Hammond
- *Ten Who Dared* (1960), as Walter Powell
- *Rapids Ahead/Bear Country* (1960), Actor
- *Stagecoach West* (1960), series, as 'Stace'
- *Pollyanna* (1960), as George Dodds
- *Toby Tyler or Ten Weeks with a Circus* (1960), as Jim Weaver
- *The Detectives* (1959), series, as Adrian
- *Bourbon Street Beat* (1959), series, Actor
- *The Rebel* (1959), series, as Bert Pace, Paul Travers
- *Lock-Up* (1959), series, as Frank Crotty
- *Black Saddle* (1959), series, as Neal Adams
- *Rawhide* (1959), series, as Kenley, Rance, Johnny Adler
- *Good Day for a Hanging* (1959), as Paul Ridgely
- *Lawman* (1958), series, as Clay, Stan Bates
- *The Rifleman* (1958), series, as Lloyd Carpenter, Spicer
- *The Texan* (1958), series, as Johnny Kaler
- *The Ed Wynn Show* (1958), series, Actor
- *Bronco* (1958), series, as John Smith
- *Steve Canyon* (1958), series, as Lt. Richard Muller
- *Bitter Heritage* (1958), as Jesse James, Jr.
- *Trackdown* (1957), series, as John Ward
- *Perry Mason* (1957), series, as Eddy King
- *Wagon Train* (1957), series, as Justin Claiborne, Cole Crawford
- *Have Gun, Will Travel* (1957), series, as Tony DeVries
- *Bernardine* (1957), as Langley Philip Beaymont
- *Richard Diamond, Private Detective* (1957), series, as Arthur Harding
- *Love Me Tender* (1956), as Ray Reno
- *Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre* (1956), series, as Jess McHugh, Roy Richards
- *Broken Arrow* (1956), series, as Tahzay
- *The Last Wagon* (1956), as Lt. Kelly
- *Forbidden Planet* (1956), as Crewman Strong — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/forbidden-planet.md)
- *Diane* (1956), as Lieutenant (uncredited)
- *The Tender Trap* (1955), as Eddie
- *The 20th Century Fox Hour* (1955), series, as Anton Cavrek
- *Alfred Hitchcock Presents* (1955), series, as Michael Grimes
- *Cheyenne* (1955), series, as Bill Magruder
- *Gunsmoke* (1955), series, as Booth Rider, Johnny Red, Jerry Cass, Tom
- *Blackboard Jungle* (1955), as Hospital Attendant (uncredited)
- *The Wonderful World of Disney* (1954), series, as Deputy Joe Monroe, George Dodds, Jim Weaver
- *Letter to Loretta* (1953), series, as Tony, Bob Prentiss
- *Cameo Theatre* (1950), series, as George

## Gallery

- ![Photo of James Drury as The Virginian from the television program The Virginian, also known as The Men from Shiloh. (1971)](https://film.one/media/person/3874381/gallery-5cc454894400.jpg) Photo of James Drury as The Virginian from the television program The Virginian, also known as The Men from Shiloh. (1971) — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/James_Drury_The_Virginian_1971.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![James Drury](https://film.one/media/person/3874381/gallery-28634a429044.jpg) James Drury — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/James_Drury_The_Virginian.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Photo of Lee J. Cobb as Judge Garth and James Drury as the Virginian from the television program The Virginian.](https://film.one/media/person/3874381/gallery-6eee679ef8c1.jpg) Photo of Lee J. Cobb as Judge Garth and James Drury as the Virginian from the television program The Virginian. — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Lee_J._Cobb_James_Drury_The_Virginian_1962.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Soiree at The Autry Museum (2012)](https://film.one/media/person/3874381/gallery-3bf0810b0e0b.jpg) Soiree at The Autry Museum (2012) — Mjdprince, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/The_Virginian_50th_Anniversary_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![James Drury](https://film.one/media/person/3874381/gallery-5104bb2f6f3f.jpg) James Drury — Image via TMDB
- ![Producer Betty Wills with actor James Drury on Lake Winnebago, WI during the production of Sturgeon: Ancient Survivors of the Deep. (1994)](https://film.one/media/person/3874381/gallery-ada20e93d704.jpg) Producer Betty Wills with actor James Drury on Lake Winnebago, WI during the production of Sturgeon: Ancient Survivors of the Deep. (1994) — Atsme, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/James_Drury_and_Betty_Wills.jpg/1280px-James_Drury_and_Betty_Wills.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/james-drury