Biography
James Nelson Harrell (also credited as James N. Harrell or James Harrell) was an American actor. Born in Waco, Texas, on 3 September 1918, he graduated from Baylor University and later earned a master's degree in drama from Trinity University. He studied acting at the original Baylor Theater under Paul Baker in the 1930s and, in 1940, joined Michael Chekhov's Acting Studio in Ridgefield, Connecticut, touring the East Coast with the company.
Harrell served in the United States Army for four years during the Second World War. After the war he taught acting at the Dallas Theater Center and later at Southwest Texas State University for 24 years, retiring in 1994 as an associate professor. He appeared in over 75 film and television productions, often in supporting roles as elderly or rural characters. His credits include Paper Moon (1973) as The Minister, The Sugarland Express (1974), Urban Cowboy (1980), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (1986), JFK (1991), Michael (1996) and Hope Floats (1998). He died on 1 February 2000 in San Marcos, Texas.
