James Coburn Dies

The rugged, chisel jawed actor James Coburn, famous for his tough-guy roles in The Magnificent Seven and Our Man Flint, has died at the age of 74. His manager Hillard Elkins said he died of a heart attack at home while listening to music with this wife. Getting his big break when cast as one of The Magnificent Seven in 1960, Coburn reteamed with fellow vigilante Steve McQueen in 1962's The Great Escape and confirmed his stardom by appearing in the 60's Bond spoofs Our Man Flint and In Like Flint. But it was his anguished portrayal of an abusive father opposite Nick Nolte and Willem Dafoe in Affliction that finally earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1998. Despite suffering from crippling arthritis, Coburn's recent roles included Thunder Jack in this year's Snow Dogs and the wonderfully irascible CEO Henry J. Waternoose III in Monsters, Inc. With many a project lined up at his death – including a possible Snow Dogs 2 - Coburn was a screen actor to the last and a laconic action hero Hollywood will sorely miss.