James Child Drury Jr. (April 18, 1934 – April 6, 2020) was an American actor. He is best known for having played the title role in the 90-minute weekly Western television series The Virginian, which was broadcast on NBC from 1962 to 1971. Drury was born in New York City, the son of James Child Drury and Beatrice Crawford Drury. His father was a New York University professor of marketing. He grew up between New York City and Salem, Oregon, where his mother owned a farm. Drury contracted polio at the age of 10. He studied drama at New York University and took additional classes at UCLA to complete his degree after he began acting in films at MGM. On February 7, 1957, Drury married Cristall Othones, and fathered two sons, Timothy and James III. The couple divorced on November 23, 1964 and on April 27, 1968, he married Phyllis Jacqueline Mitchell; the marriage ended in divorce on January 30, 1979. His third marriage was to Carl Ann Head on July 30, 1979; it lasted until her death on August 25, 2019. Drury had three stepchildren from his previous marriages, a stepdaughter, Rhonda Brown, and two stepsons, Frederick Drury and Gary Schero. Drury died from natural causes on April 6, 2020.

Filmography

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

Appearances as themselves (7)

• Titanic: Secrets of the Shipwreck — Self (archive footage)
• 1979When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion — Self
• Hollywood Squares — Self
• The Merv Griffin Show — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self
• The Bob Hope Show — Self