James McCallion

James McCallion was born in Derry, Ireland, and immigrated to the United States as a child. He began acting at the age of seven. At nine years old, he made his Broadway debut in 1927 alongside Leon Errol in Yours Truly.{{cite news |title=James McCallion, Character Actor |newspaper=The Flint Journal |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/1107288314/?match=1&clipping_id=171915489 |date=July 18, 1991 |page=43}} He later performed in other Broadway productions, including Roosty and But for the Grace of God. A 1937 article in the Daily World features McCallion in a photo with fellow young actor Robert Mayors, praising the play as "an outstanding contribution to the theatrical season".{{cite news |title=...But for the Grace of God |newspaper=Daily World |location=New York |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/1144056414/?match=1&clipping_id=171916100 |date=January 24, 1937 |page=13}}

McCallion's success on the stage and radio, particularly in shows like Billy and Betty, brought him to the attention of Hollywood studios. His early film roles included appearances in Boy Slaves (1939), Code of the Streets (1939), and Pride of the Blue Grass (1939).

McCallion appeared on television in over a hundred programs from the 1950s through the early 1980s. He starred as Mi Taylor in the NBC television series National Velvet (1960–1962), a role originally played by Mickey Rooney in the 1944 film.

McCallion was married to actress Nora Marlowe from 1943 until her death in 1977. They had two children, Denis McCallion and Tracey McCallion Campbell. Their son Denis later became a television producer, and their daughter Tracey worked as a personal assistant to many people in the entertainment industry.{{Cite news|title=How Jenny Jones Made Peace with Her Body|author=Birnbaum, Jane|date=June 1995|work=Redbook|page=52|quote=Life isn't fair, but it can be providential, proof of which is fiancé Denis McCallion, 47, a former Disney TV production executive who met Jones in a comedy club ten years ago.|id={{ProQuest|1807565961}}}}

James McCallion died on July 11, 1991, at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, California. His daughter, Tracey McCallion Campbell, stated he had suffered a heart attack after undergoing treatment for kidney failure. He was 72 years old.

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Category:1918 births

Category:1991 deaths

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male stage actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:American people of Irish descent

Category:British television actors

Category:Male actors from Derry (city)