Date of Birth 31 August 1928, Laurel, Nebraska, USA Date of Death 18 November 2002, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA (heart attack) Lanky, charismatic and versatile actor with an amazing grin that put everyone at ease, James Coburn studied acting at UCLA, and then moved to New York to study under noted acting coach Stella Adler. After being noticed in several stage productions, Coburn appeared in a handful of minor westerns before being cast as the knife-throwing.