Photo: Phil Karlson / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Jack Elam was a television actor, film actor and military officer, born on November 13, 1920 in Miami, Arizona, United States. Jack Elam died on October 20, 2003, aged 82. Education on record includes Phoenix Union High School.
My Take
Jack Elam is one of those character actors I treasure precisely because he was never the leading man. His famously misaligned eye made him an instant villain in countless Westerns, and I love that he later flipped that menacing image into self-aware comedy. There's real wisdom in an actor who turns a perceived flaw into a signature. Having worked in finance and the military before acting, he brought a lived-in toughness that no acting class can teach. He passed in 2003, but that crooked, unforgettable gaze still anchors every scene he stole. I rank him among the unsung pillars of American genre cinema.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jack Elam
- Name (Japanese)
- ジャック・イーラム
- Reading
- じゃっく・いーらむ
- Born
- November 13, 1920 – October 20, 2003
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Monkey
- Origin
- Miami, Arizona, United States
- Occupation
- television actor / film actor / actor / military officer / military personnel
2. Background
- High school
- Phoenix Union High School
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Jack Elam born?
Born November 13, 1920.
When did Jack Elam die?
Died October 20, 2003, aged 82.
Where was Jack Elam from?
Jack Elam was from Miami, Arizona, United States.
What did Jack Elam do?
Jack Elam worked as television actor, film actor, actor, military officer, military personnel.
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