James Seay (9 September 1914 in Pasadena, California – 10 October 1992 in Capistrano Beach, California) was an American character actor who often played minor supporting roles as government officials. Although it was a minor part not credited on-screen, his role in the film Miracle on 34th Street is one of his most visible because the film is a staple of Christmas repeats on television. Among his many credits, Seay appeared in minor roles in a couple of episodes of Adventures of Superman television series: The Mind Machine (as a senator) and Jungle Devil (as an airplane pilot). In the syndicated 1954-1955 television series Stories of the Century, starring and narrated by Jim Davis, Seay portrayed the Wyoming storekeeper James “Jim” Averill, companion of Cattle Kate Watson, both of whom were hanged in a dispute with cattlemen at the start of the Johnson County Range War. James Seay appeared sixteen times as Judge Spicer on ABC’s western series, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, starring Hugh O’Brian. He was cast six times as a sheriff on the NBC children’s western series, Fury, starring Peter Graves and Bobby Diamond. He also guest starred in Kenneth Tobey’s syndicated aviation adventure series, Whirlybirds, and on the westerns The Californians, The Tall Man, and The Rebel.

James Seay appeared three times in 1958 and 1959 on CBS’ Perry Mason: murder victim Ross Hollister in “The Case of the Cautious Coquette,” Dr. Michael Harris in “The Case of the Curious Bride,” and murderer Ralph Hibberly in “The Case of the Spurious Sister.” Seay was cast as Duke Tavener, an unscrupulous businessman who tries to force a woman to turn over her saloon/casino to him, in the 1958 episode “Gambler” of the ABC/Warner Brothers western series, Cheyenne, starring Clint Walker. He appeared on CBS’s The Twilight Zone as the sheriff in the episode “In His Image” and as Agent Bowton in The Andy Griffith Show Season 4 episode, “The Haunted House” and the Season 5 episode, “Prisoner of Love”. James Seay served in the United States Army during World War II.