Quick Facts
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Biography
James Keach (born December 7, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the younger brother of actor Stacy Keach Jr. and son of actor Stacy Keach Sr.
Early life and education
Keach was born in Savannah, Georgia, the son of Mary Cain (née Peckham), an actress, and Walter Stacy Keach Sr., a drama coach, actor, writer, and producer. His brother, Stacy Keach, is an actor and narrator. Keach received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University, a M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama, and is also a classically trained Shakespearean actor. He is a patron of Meningitis UK.
Career
Best known as a producer and director, Keach has also acted, most famously portraying Jesse James in the 1980 film The Long Riders, a film which he co-wrote and produced. Johnny Cash was so taken by the film that he and June Carter became close friends with Keach and asked him to be involved in the development of Walk the Line, which Keach produced. Keach also appeared in numerous supporting roles in films such as National Lampoon's Vacation with Chevy Chase, The Razor's Edge opposite Bill Murray, and Wildcats with Goldie Hawn. He also played a leading role in the 1985 comedy film Moving Violations as Deputy Hank Halik.
He was the director of the 1993 TV series and 1999 film Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman which starred his wife, Jane Seymour, and other episodic television. Most recently he has directed and produced Waiting for Forever and Blind Dating. He directed a documentary, Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me, about country music singer Glen Campbell and his battle with Alzheimer's disease, that was released in October 2014. He won a Grammy Award on March 14, 2021, as producer for the documentary Linda Ronstadt The Sound of My Voice.
In 2010, James Keach received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Personal life
Keach was married to Holly Collins, sister of Judy Collins. Their marriage produced a son, Kalen Keach. Sometime after his marriage to Collins ended, he married Mimi Maynard. Their marriage lasted until 1993.
In 1993, Keach married actress Jane Seymour. The couple had twin boys, born November 30, 1995, John Stacy and Kristopher Steven, who were named after family friends Johnny Cash and Christopher Reeve, and James's brother, actor Stacy Keach. On April 12, 2013, it was announced that the couple separated. The divorce was finalized in December 2015.
Filmography
Films
Acting credits
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slashed Dreams | 1975 | Levon | |
| The Noah | 1975 | (voice) | |
| Cannonball | 1976 | Wolfe Messer | |
| Death Play | 1976 | Steve | |
| FM | 1978 | Lt. Reach | |
| Comes a Horseman | 1978 | Emil Kroegh | |
| Hurricane | 1979 | Sgt. Strang | |
| Smokey and the Hotwire Gang | 1979 | Joshua | |
| The Long Riders | 1980 | Jesse James | |
| The Legend of the Lone Ranger | 1981 | The Lone Ranger / John Reid (voice) | |
| Love Letters | 1983 | Oliver / Anna's lover | |
| National Lampoon's Vacation | 1983 | Motorcycle Cop | |
| The Razor's Edge | 1984 | Gray Maturin | |
| Moving Violations | 1985 | Deputy Halik | |
| Stand Alone | 1985 | Detective Isgrow | |
| Wildcats | 1986 | Frank | |
| Evil Town | 1987 | Christopher Fuller | |
| The Experts | 1989 | Yuri | |
| Options | 1989 | Ed Sloan | |
| The Dance Goes On | 1992 | James Smith | |
| The New Swiss Family Robinson | 1998 | Jack Robinson | |
| Walk the Line | 2005 | Warden | |
| Turning Point | 2017 | Narrator (voice) | Documentary film |
Filmmaking credits
Narrative films
| Title | Year | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunburst | 1975 | No | No | Yes | |
| The Long Riders | 1980 | No | Executive | Yes | |
| Armed and Dangerous | 1986 | No | Yes | Story | |
| The Experts | 1989 | No | Yes | No | |
| False Identity | 1990 | Yes | Associate | No | |
| The Stars Fell on Henrietta | 1995 | Yes | No | No | |
| Camouflage | 2001 | Yes | No | No | |
| Walk the Line | 2005 | No | Yes | No | |
| Blind Dating | 2006 | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Waiting for Forever | 2010 | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Bereave | 2015 | No | Executive | No | |
| The Mix Up | 2017 | Yes | No | No | Short film |
| A Quest for Rainbows | TBA | Yes | No | No | |
| Tough as They Come | TBA | No | Yes | No |
Documentaries
| Title | Year | Director | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disease of the Wind | 2002 | Yes | No |
| Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me | 2014 | Yes | Yes |
| Turning Point | 2017 | Yes | Yes |
| Augie | 2018 | Yes | Yes |
| David Crosby: Remember My Name | 2019 | No | Executive |
| Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice | 2019 | No | Yes |
| Steam Power | TBA | Yes | Yes |
| Horn Maker | TBA | No | Yes |
Television films
Acting credits
| Title | Year | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Deadly Visitor | 1973 | Urknown |
| Miles to Go Before I Sleep | 1975 | Man in Bar |
| The Hatfields and the McCoys | 1975 | Jim McCoy |
| Six Characters in Search of an Author | 1976 | The Son |
| Kill Me If You Can | 1977 | Officer #1 |
| The Blue Hotel | 1977 | Johnnie |
| Nowhere to Run | 1978 | McEnerney |
| Lacy and the Mississippi Queen | 1978 | Parker |
| Like Normal People | 1979 | Robert Meyers Jr. |
| The Great Cash Giveaway Getaway | 1980 | Bondo |
| Big Bend Country | 1981 | Ian McGregor |
| Thou Shalt Not Kill | 1982 | Jeff Tompkins |
| Till Death Do Us Part | 1982 | Robert Craig |
| Wishman | 1983 | Galen Reed |
| The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains | 1987 | Father Vincent Godfrey Burns |
| Good Cops, Bad Cops | 1990 | Frank Moran |
| Murder in High Places | 1991 | Levering |
| Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble | 2000 | Dr. Huston |
| Perfectly Prudence | 2011 | Mister |
Filmmaking credits
| Title | Year | Director | Producer | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Winner Never Quits | 1986 | No | Yes | No |
| The Forgotten | 1989 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sunstroke | 1992 | Yes | No | No |
| Praying Mantis | 1993 | Yes | Executive | No |
| A Passion for Justice: The Hazel Brannon Smith Story | 1994 | Yes | Executive | No |
| The Absolute Truth | 1997 | Yes | Executive | No |
| A Marriage of Convenience | 1998 | Yes | Executive | No |
| A Memory in My Heart | 1999 | No | Executive | No |
| Murder in the Mirror | 2000 | Yes | Executive | No |
| Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble | 2000 | Yes | Executive | No |
| Blackout | 2001 | Yes | Executive | No |
| Submerged | 2001 | Yes | No | No |
| Mom's on Strike | 2002 | Yes | No | No |
Television series
Acting credits
| Title | Year(s) | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NET Playhouse | 1971 | Orville Wright | Episode: "The Wright Brothers" |
| Kung Fu | 1973 | Abe Jones | Episode: "The Assassin" |
| Kojak | 1973 | Ted Strong | Episode: "Girl in the River" |
| Ironside | 1974 | Walter Portman | Episode: "The Taste of Ashes" |
| The Rookies | 1974 | Stoney Putnam | Episode: "Legacy of Death" |
| Movin' On | 1974 | Ron | Episode: "The Trick Is to Stay Alive" |
| Cannon | 1974–76 | Johnny Cabe / Pete Wallace | 2 episodes |
| The Manhunter | 1975 | Reichart | Episode: "Man in a Cage" |
| Police Woman | 1975 | Cliff Hummel / Del Franklin | Episode: "Ice" |
| S.W.A.T. | 1975 | Arlie Warren | Episode: "A Coven of Killers" |
| Switch | 1975 | Dean 'Skip' Crowe | Episode: "The Body at the Bottom" |
| Starsky & Hutch | 1975–77 | James March Wrightwood / Ed Chambers | 2 episodes |
| Joe Forrester | 1976 | Urknown | Episode: "The Boy Next Door" |
| The Quest | 1976 | Blue | Episode: "Day of Outrage" |
| Baa Baa Black Sheep | 1977 | Captain Ted Gerslinger | Episode: "Trouble at Fort Apache" |
| The Tony Randall Show | 1977 | Bastian | Episode: "Bobby vs. Michael" |
| The Next Step Beyond | 1978 | Chris Stabler | Episode: "The Haunted Inn" |
| Quincy M.E. | 1979 | Gary Harlan | Episode: "A Small Circle of Friends" |
| CHiPs | 1981 | Motorcycle LAPD Cop | Episode: "Karate" |
| Magnum, P.I. | 1983 | Killer (uncredited) | Episode: "...By Its Cover" |
| Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | 1997 | Brent Currier | Episode: "Hostage" |
| This One 'n That One | 2012 | Big Jim | Unknown episodes |
| Ray Donovan | 2017 | Tom | 4 episodes |
Filmmaking credits
| Title | Year(s) | Director | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull High | 1990 | Yes | No | Episode #1.7 |
| The Young Riders | 1990–92 | Yes | Yes | Director (9 episodes) / Producer (11 episodes) |
| Covington Cross | 1992 | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
| Jack's Place | 1993 | Yes | No | Episode: "The Pipes Are Calling" |
| Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | 1993–99 | Yes | Executive | Director (26 episodes) / Producer (The Movie) |
| The District | 2003-04 | Yes | No | 2 episodes |
| JAG | 2004 | Yes | No | Episode: "A Girl's Best Friend" |
| The Quitter Show | 2009 | No | Executive | 2 episodes |
| This One 'n That One | 2012 | No | Yes | Urknown episodes |