James Naughton
James Naughton (born December 6, 1945) is an American actor and director. On television he is best known as astronaut Pete Burke in the 1974 single-season television series Planet of the Apes. He won Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical in 1990 for City of Angels, and again in 1997 for the role of lawyer Billy Flynn in the long-running revival of the musical Chicago.
James Naughton
CBS Television · eBay item photo front photo back · Public domain
- Born
- 1945. · Middletown.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Occupation
- actor and film director.
- Education
- Brown University, Yale School of Drama and Conard High School.
- Honours
- Theatre World Award and Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
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James Naughton (born December 6, 1945) is an American actor and director. On television he is best known as astronaut Pete Burke in the 1974 single-season television series Planet of the Apes. He won Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical in 1990 for City of Angels, and again in 1997 for the role of lawyer Billy Flynn in the long-running revival of the musical Chicago.
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James Naughton (born 1945) is an American actor, film actor and film director, among other activities. The actor was born in Middletown. James Naughton studied at Brown University, Conard High School and Yale School of Drama. The actor received Theatre World Award and Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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- Identity
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Authority files
wikidata · Q349668 · wikipedia · James Naughton
In this article
Early life
Early life
Naughton was born in Middletown, Connecticut, the son of Rosemary (née Walsh) and Joseph Naughton, both of whom were teachers. He is the elder brother of actor David Naughton. His family is Irish American. He graduated from Conard High School. Jim began singing during his years at Conard "with the high school band and at parties."
Career
Career
Naughton graduated from Brown University and Yale School of Drama. His acting career began when he appeared in a series of Broadway dramas and musicals. He has since become an accomplished actor in both starring and supporting film and television roles. His largest fame and first love has been the legitimate theater. He won the Theatre World Award for his performance in Long Day's Journey into Night in 1971. He starred with Geneviève Bujold in Antigone, later made into a film in 1974. He starred in I Love My Wife in 1977 and in Whose Life is it Anyway? in 1980. He won his first Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1990 for City of Angels. In 1997, he won a second Tony Award with his portrayal of lawyer Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago. He played the role of Willy Brandt in Democracy on its U.S. première in 2004. His films include The Paper Chase and The First Wives Club. In 2006, he appeared in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. In 2006, he played Fuzzy Sedgwick in Factory Girl.
Television and commercials
Television and commercials
On television, he starred in Faraday & Company with Dan Dailey and Sharon Gless (1973–1974). He also starred with Roddy McDowall and Ron Harper in the 1974 television series Planet of the Apes, a spin-off of the original film. He starred in Making the Grade and Trauma Center in the early 1980s. He starred in the short-lived series Raising Miranda in 1988. From 1991 to 1993, he played Lt. Patrick Monahan on the series Brooklyn Bridge. From 1994 to 1995, he co-starred with Bill Cosby in The Cosby Mysteries. He appeared with Gless 20 years later, this time as her husband in Cagney and Lacey: The Return (1993) and Cagney and Lacey: Together Again (1995). He appeared on Damages with Glenn Close. Naughton had a recurring role on Gossip Girl as William van der Bilt, grandfather of main character Nate Archibald. In 1998 he hosted and narrated the Court TV series The Greatest Trials of All Time. He has appeared in television commercials promoting the drugs Cialis, Nexium and Nasalcrom. Naughton has also been the official voice of Audi in the U.S. since 2007, heard in its national TV and radio spots. He is also a frequent narrator on television's Nature series.
Director
Director
He has directed several plays in New York City, including the 2002 revival of Thornton Wilder's Our Town, starring his friend Paul Newman, filmed for cable TV in 2003. He appears in cabarets in New York City, including Manhattan Theatre Club and Caroline's Comedy Club.
Personal life
Personal life
His family is Irish American. He and his first wife, Pamela Parsons, have two children: Keira and Greg, both actors. Greg is married to Broadway actress Kelli O'Hara. Pamela Parsons died from pancreatic cancer in 2013.
Stage productions
Stage productions
Long Day's Journey into Night (1971) Antigone (1972) I Love My Wife (1979) Whose Life is it Anyway? (1980) City of Angels (1990) (Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical) Four Baboons Adoring the Sun (1992) Chicago (1996) (Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical) The Price (director) (1999) Our Town (2003) Prymate (2004) Democracy (2004)
Filmography
Filmography
The Paper Chase (1973) – Kevin Brooks Planet of the Apes (1974) – Major Peter J. Burke Second Wind (1976) – Roger Diary of the Dead (1976) – George The Bunker (1981) – James P. O'Donnell A Stranger Is Watching (1982) – Steve Peterson My Body, My Child (1982) – Dr. Dan Berensen Who's the Boss? (1984–1992) – Michael Bower Cat's Eye (1985) – Hugh (segment "The General") The Glass Menagerie (1987) – The Gentleman Caller (James Delaney "Jim" O'Connor) The Good Mother (1988) – Brian Raising Miranda (1988) – Donald Marshak Brooklyn Bridge (1991–1993) Lt. Patrick Monahan Designing Women (1992) – Phillip Russell Stuart The Birds II: Land's End (1994) – Frank The Cosby Mysteries (1994–1995) – Det. Adam Sully First Kid (1996) – President Paul Davenport The First Wives Club (1996) – Gilbert Griffin The Proprietor (1996) – New York – Texans Law & Order (1996) – Barry Taggert Oxygen (1999) – Clark Hannon Ally McBeal (1999–2000) – George McBeal Labor Pains (2000) – Actor The Truth About Jane (2000) – Robert Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2002) – Dr. Roger Buckman Fascination (2004) – Patrick Doherty The Devil Wears Prada (2006) – Stephen Factory Girl (2006) – Fuzzy Sedgwick Suburban Girl (2007) – Robert Eisenberg Gossip Girl (2009) – William Vanderbilt Warehouse 13 (2009) – Gilbert Radburn Hostages (2013) – President Paul Kincaid Turks & Caicos (2014) – Frank Church The Blacklist (2015) – Hayworth The Affair (2015) – Rodney Callahan Cathedral (2018) – Robert And Just Like That... – Richard Preston
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q349668: James Naughton
Unverified · Wikidata
reference work
- “James Naughton”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.filmreference. James Naughton Biography. 2008.
- 2.Gerber, Joseph. Notable people from West Hartford. West Hartford News. March 25, 2011.
- 3.Klein, Alvin. Theater; Solo Act; Jeep Voice as Well. The New York Times. 1998-06-14.
- 4.Washington University in St. Louis. Legendary James Naughton at Edison. The Record. September 23, 1999.
- 5.Living Volcanos. February 20, 2019.
- 6.Simonson, Robert. James Naughton At OB's Promenade to Be Limited Run & Different From MTC Gig. Playbill. December 14, 1998.
- 7.Kelly, Mary Pat. Broadway's Irish Colleen: Kelli O'Hara. Irish America. October–November 2008. 0884-4240.
- 8.Obituaries: Pamela Parsons Naughton. Hartford Courant. April 21, 2013.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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