- Decorated World War II veteran: the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.
- Served forty-two months in the South Pacific, from January 1942 until August 1945.
- Had mastered an impeccable (and unmistakable) Southern accent, despite having been born in Spokane, Washington.
- United States Army Combat Infantry Platoon Sergeant, 163rd Infantry, 41st Division.
- Attended and graduated from the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon.
- Best remembered for playing the stereotypical redneck policeman Sheriff J.W. Pepper in the James Bond films Live and Let Die (1973) and The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). He played basically the same character in Superman II (1980) although his name is never mentioned (He was referred to simply as "sheriff").
- Made his Broadway stage debut at the warm-hearted construction foreman in William Saroyan's "The Cave Dwellers".
- His remains were cremated and his ashes were scattered by his family off Clackamas River in Gladstone, Oregon and Hudson River in New York.
- Had appeared with Ned Beatty in four films: The Deadly Tower (1975), Silver Streak (1976), Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (1980) and Superman II (1980).
- At the time of his death, Clifton James was set to play one of the three leads in Old Soldiers after one of the three original leads (James Best, Hugh O'Brian, Mickey Rooney) had passed away.
- Appeared in over 30 productions on Broadway including 'All the Way Home', 'Inherit the Wind' and 'All the King's Men'.
- Educated at the University of Oregon.
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