James Drury

Following bit parts in films in the late 50s, he became a "second lead" for Disney until winning the title role of "The Virginian" .

Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1991.

Father of Timothy Drury, musician.

In 1971 he appeared in Finland for four appearances in different Mid-Summer festivals. At the time he was very popular there after having been in the TV series "The Virginian" . He was told that kind of reception he got in Finland was like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra got in the US.

Trained as a classical actor at New York University by perform in works by such writers as William Shakespeare to George Bernard Shaw , he eventually relocated to California.

Recorded a series of novels by acclaimed western author Kirby Jonas for a books-on-tape company called Books in Motion.

Settled in Houston in the mid-1970s and has been in and out of the oil and natural gas business since.

Son Timothy Drury is a keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist who has played with The Eagles and is a member of the British group Whitesnake.

In 1997 and 2003 he was a guest at the Western Film Fair in Charlotte, NC. At the 2003 show he was reunited with "The Virginian" cast members Gary Clarke , Randy Boone , and Roberta Shore.

The son of a New York University professor of marketing, he was born in New York City but later grew up on a ranch in Oregon where he developed an affinity for horses and the outdoor life.

Best known by the public for his starring role as the title character in "The Virginian" .

He was a guest at the 2012 Memphis Film Festivals "A Gathering of Guns 4: A TV Western Reunion" at the Whispering Woods Hotel and Conference Center in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

Guest-starred on the first three episodes of "Walker, Texas Ranger" .

His idols when he was very young were Randolph Scott , Joel McCrea and Jane Wyman.

Met Robert Horton and Robert Fuller when the three were under contract at MGM in 1954.

Despite staying on "The Virginian" for the entire run, it was impossible for both Drury and Doug McClure to appear in all 249 episodes, because it was a 90-minute show.

Since 1976 he has resided in Houston, TX.

Has been riding horses since birth.

Went to college with Bernie Kopell.

His acting mentor was the late Lee J. Cobb.

Surrogate son of Lee J. Cobb.

He is a staunch Republican.

He is widely known to be a social butterfly.

Credits Lee J. Cobb as his favorite acting mentor/best friend.

Friends with: Robert Fuller , John Smith , Doug McClure , Adam West , Alan Hale Jr. , Michael Landon , James Arness , Clu Gulager , James Best , Denver Pyle , Chuck Norris , Bobby Troup , Beverly Garland , Clint Walker , Andy Griffith , Larry Hagman , Pernell Roberts , Dan Blocker , Lorne Greene , Don Collier , Barbara Stanwyck , Linda Evans , Lee Majors , Brian Keith , Peter Mark Richman , Claude Akins , Hugh OBrian , Chuck Courtney , Robert Horton , Alex Cord , Abby Dalton , Ruta Lee , Chuck Connors , Robert Crawford Jr. and his brother Johnny Crawford , Yul Brynner , James Gregory , Raymond Burr , Joel McCrea , John McIntire , Terry Wilson , Denny Miller , Bernie Kopell , Dan Haggerty , Roberta Shore , Julie Adams , L.Q. Jones and Robert Conrad.

Despite not knowing Julie London , he was a fan of her show, "Emergency!" , which also starred his best friend, Robert Fuller.

[referring to his title role on "The Virginian" (1962) ] Nobody,knows the name of my character. Not even me.

[Who spent most of his childhood in both New York and Oregon]: I was,under care of my maternal grandfather who had come west with a wagon,train when he was about 16. He told me about the Indians fights the,wagon train was involved in and all the other different things that,happened. So I had a real pipeline into the Old West.

[When he began as an unfamiliar actor]: I signed a contract with 20th,century fox and did a series of films with them, was Love Me Tender,with Elvis Presley. That was a great moment.

I started acting at age eight. I was forced to do a play in Manhattan,and was cast as King Henry in a bible play. When people began clapping,at the end of the play, I realized there was nothing I wanted more than,to be on the stage.

[As to why it was impossible for himself to appear in each and every,episode of "The Virginian" (1962) ]: The majority of. . . episodes,were shot in eight days. When we started out, they took about ten days.

I was able to accomplish just about everything I set out to do as an,actor.