James Naughton

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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