Actor. Muscular character player of Hollywood films and TV. Born in New York City, he entered films as a stuntman and went on to play sidekicks in action movies, even though he was often a better actor than the stars he supported. James’ credits include “The Warriors” (1979), “The Exterminator” (1980), “The Brother From Another Planet” (1984), “American Ninja” (1985), “Weird Science” (1985), “Mask” (1985), “To Live and Die in L.A.” (1985), “The Delta Force” (1986), “The Hollywood Shuffle” (1987), “American Ninja 2” (1987), “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” (1988), and “American Ninja 3” (1989). He died at 41 of pancreatic cancer. At James’ memorial service, his eulogy was delivered by Sidney Poitier.