Photo: Warner Bros. Studio (work for hire) / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
James Cagney was a film actor, character actor and stage actor, born on July 17, 1899 in Manhattan, New York, United States. James Cagney died on March 30, 1986 at the age of 86. Education on record includes Stuyvesant High School and Columbia University. Listed accolades include Presidential Medal of Freedom (1984), Academy Award for Best Actor (1943), Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award and 3 more. The listed height was 165 cm.
My Take
James Cagney is, to me, the spine of old Hollywood. Just 165 cm yet somehow the biggest presence on any screen, he fused the menace of his gangster roles with the lightness of a trained dancer, and that contradiction is what keeps him magnetic. The Best Actor Oscar, the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, all earned by sheer electricity. I admire too that he stood up as a union man for his peers. Watching him, you sense a kind of total performer the industry simply doesn't produce anymore.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- James Cagney
- Name (Japanese)
- ジェームズ・キャグニー
- Reading
- じぇーむず・きゃぐにー
- Born
- July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Boar
- Origin
- Manhattan, New York, United States
- Height
- 165 cm
- Occupation
- film actor / character actor / stage actor / television actor / trade unionist
2. Background
- High school
- Stuyvesant High School
- University
- Columbia University
Awards & achievements
- 1984 Presidential Medal of Freedom
- 1943 Academy Award for Best Actor
- Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award
- Kennedy Center Honors
- 1974 AFI Life Achievement Award
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-16
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 James Cagney born?
Born July 17, 1899.
When did James Cagney die?
Died March 30, 1986, aged 86.
Where was James Cagney from?
James Cagney was from Manhattan, New York, United States.
What did James Cagney do?
James Cagney worked as film actor, character actor, stage actor, television actor, trade unionist.
How tall was James Cagney?
James Cagney was 165 cm.
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