James McEachin, star of Perry Mason and frequent collaborator with Clint Eastwood, has passed away at age 94.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the actor passed away in January and has been laid to rest at Los Angeles National Cemetery since April.
The Columbo actor is most recognised for his work on numerous Clint Eastwood films, including Bluff (1968), Play Misty for Me (1971), Every Which Way But Loose (1978) and Sudden Impact (1983). James also made appearances in a host of TV series such as All in the Family, Tenafly, Dragnet, It Takes a Thief, The Name of the Game, Mannix, The Wild Wild West, Hawaii Five-O and Ironside.
He also portrayed Lt Ed Brock alongside Raymond Burr and Hal Holbrook from 1986 to 1995.
(Image: Universal)
On Matlock, he assumed the role of police lieutenant Frank Daniels in the first series. He also played FBI Agent David Shore on The Rockford Files alongside James Garner.
James had guest roles on Police Story, Emergency!, Columbo, TJ Hooker, St Elsewhere, Murder, She Wrote and Hill Street Blues. Not only was he an actor, he penned several books.
Some of his titles included 1996’s Tell Me a Tale: A Novel of the Old South, 1997’s Farewell to the Mockingbirds, 1999’s The Heroin Factor, 2000’s Say Goodnight to the Boys in Blue and 2021’s Swing Low My Sweet Chariot: The Ballad of Jimmy Mack, a memoir.
(Image: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Before embarking on his acting career, James served in the military. Reports suggest that he was one of only two survivors of the ambush of his unit in Korea and nearly lost his life.
He remained unaware of receiving an award for his service until years later, when a congressman from California dug up his record and discovered his Silver Star. At the same time, he also received his Purple Heart.
Upon returning to the States, he worked as a police officer and a firefighter before transitioning into music production.
(Image: Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
The news of his passing left fans heartbroken, with many taking to social media to pay their respects. One fan wrote: “Sorry to see that actor #JamesMcEachin has passed. He was a prolific performer and also had a background in music.”
Another fan reminisced: “And he sort of brought both careers together in my favorite role of his, Clint Eastwood’s fellow radio d.j. in “Play Misty for Me” (Eastwood’s directing debut).”
A third fan posted: “#RIP James McEachin. A real-life, decorated war hero, he was wonderful in his two ‘All in the Family’ guest spots, as private detective Harry Tenafly on one of those ‘NBC Mystery Movie’ shows and as Lt. Ed Brock in the Perry Mason telefilms.”
Have you joined Threads? Follow Daily Star to keep up to date on all things showbiz here .
Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
