James Norman "Jim" Beaver, Jr. (born August 12, 1950) is an American actor who portrayed Whitney Ellsworth in HBO's Deadwood.
Biography[]
Beaver was born in Laramie, Wyoming, the son of Dorothy Adell (née Crawford) (1928-2019) and James Norman Beaver, Sr. (1924–2004), a minister. His father was of English and French heritage; the family name was originally de Beauvoir, and Beaver is a distant cousin of author and philosopher Simone de Beauvoir and Pennsylvania governor General James A. Beaver. Beaver's mother has Cherokee, German, and Scottish ancestry, and is a descendant of three-time U.S. Attorney General John J. Crittenden.[1]
Although his parents' families had both long been in Texas, Beaver was born in Laramie, as his father was doing graduate work in accounting at the University of Wyoming. Returning to Texas, Beaver Sr. worked as an accountant and as a minister for the Church of Christ in Fort Worth, Crowley, Dallas, and Grapevine. For most of Beaver's youth, his family lived in Irving, Texas, even while his father preached in surrounding communities. He and his three younger sisters (Denise, Reneé, and Teddlie) all attended Irving High School, where he was a classmate of ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard, but he transferred in his senior year to Fort Worth Christian Academy, from which he graduated in 1968. He also took courses at Fort Worth Christian College.[1]
Later, he attended Oklahoma Christian College. Despite having appeared in some elementary school plays, he showed no particular interest in an acting career, but immersed himself in film history and expressed a desire for a career as a writer, publishing a few short stories in his high school anthology.[1]
Credits[]
Season 1[]
- "Deadwood" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Deep Water" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Reconnoitering the Rim" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Here Was a Man" Whitney Ellsworth
- "The Trial of Jack McCall" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Plague" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Suffer the Little Children" Whitney Ellsworth
- "No Other Sons or Daughters" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Jewel's Boot Is Made for Walking" Whitney Ellsworth
Season 2[]
- "A Lie Agreed Upon: Part I" Whitney Ellsworth
- "New Money" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Requiem for a Gleet" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Something Very Expensive" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Childish Things" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Amalgamation and Capital" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Advances, None Miraculous" Whitney Ellsworth
- "The Whores Can Come" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Boy-the-Earth-Talks-To" Whitney Ellsworth
Season 3[]
- "Tell Your God to Ready for Blood" Whitney Ellsworth
- "I Am Not the Fine Man You Take Me For" Whitney Ellsworth
- "True Colors" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Full Faith and Credit" Whitney Ellsworth
- "A Two-Headed Beast" Whitney Ellsworth
- "A Rich Find" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Unauthorized Cinnamon" Whitney Ellsworth
- "Amateur Night" Whitney Ellsworth
- "A Constant Throb" Whitney Ellsworth
- "The Catbird Seat" Whitney Ellsworth
Filmography[]
| Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-Tough | B.E.A.T. Member (uncredited) | 1977 |
| The Seniors | Client (uncredited) | 1978 |
| Desperado (TV Movie) | Nathan | |
| Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (TV Movie) | Cowboy Player (uncredited) | 1979 |
| Nighthawks | Subway Passenger (uncredited) | 1981 |
| Girls of the White Orchid (TV Movie) | Pedestrian (uncredited) | 1983 |
| Silkwood | Plant Manager (uncredited) | |
| Sweet Revenge | Smuggler (uncredited) | 1987 |
| Hollywood Shuffle | Postal Worker (uncredited) | |
| Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake (TV Movie) | Motel Manager | 1988 |
| Defense Play | FBI Man | |
| Two Idiots in Hollywood | Crying Man | |
| Turner & Hooch | Plant Manager | 1989 |
| In Country | Earl Smith | |
| Mothers, Daughters and Lovers (TV Movie) | Sheriff Jack Edzard | |
| Follow Your Heart (TV Movie) | Craig Hraboy | 1990 |
| El Diablo (TV Movie) | Spivey Irick | |
| The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson (TV Movie) | Maj. Trimble | |
| Little Secrets | Liquor Store Cashier | 1991 |
| Gunsmoke: To the Last Man (TV Movie) | Deputy Willie Rudd | 1992 |
| Sister Act | Clarkson | |
| Twogether | Oscar | |
| Gunsmoke: The Long Ride (TV Movie) | Traveling Blacksmith | 1993 |
| Sliver | Detective Ira | |
| Geronimo: An American Legend | Proclamation Officer | |
| Blue Chips | Ricky's Father | 1994 |
| Children of the Dark (TV Movie) | Roddy Gibbons (uncredited) | |
| Bad Girls | Pinkerton Detective Graves | |
| Wounded | Agent Eric Ashton | 1997 |
| Divided by Hate (TV Movie) | Danny Leland | |
| At Sachem Farm | Foreman | 1998 |
| Mr. Murder (TV Movie) | Agent Jason Reiling | |
| Magnolia | Smiling Peanut Patron #1 | 1999 |
| Ah! Silenciosa | Ambrose Bierce | |
| Warden of Red Rock (TV Movie) | Jefferson Bent | 2001 |
| Joy Ride | Sheriff Ritter | |
| Adaptation. | Ranger Tony | 2002 |
| The Life of David Gale | Duke Grover | 2003 |
| The Commission | Howard L. Brennan | |
| Wheelmen | Agent Hammond | 2005 |
| Next | NSA Director Wisdom | 2007 |
| Cooties | The Man | |
| Dark and Stormy Night | Jack Tugdon | 2009 |
| The Legend of Hell's Gate: An American Conspiracy | J. Wright Mooar | 2011 |
| The Frontier | Lee | 2015 |
| The Adventures of Biffle and Shooster | The Captain | |
| Crimson Peak | Carter Cushing | |
| Billy Boy | Crabtree | 2017 |
| Remember the Sultana | Joseph Taylor Elliott / FEO Nathaniel Wintringer (voice) | 2018 |
| Hospitality | The Boss | |
| El Asesino (TV Movie) | Cavetti | 2019 |
| Gunfight at Silver Creek | Phil Macgregor | 2020 |
| Blindfire | Sergeant Ward | |
| Nightmare Alley | Sheriff Jedediah Judd | 2021 |
| No More Time | Radio Host | 2022 |
| Rock and Doris (try to) Write a Movie | Mayor Astor Cargan | 2024 |
| Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas | Julie Grey's Gardener / Diner | 1978-1979 |
| Jake and the Fatman | Defense Attorney | 1987 |
| Matlock | Barney Sutler | 1988 |
| Paradise | Frank Foster | |
| CBS Summer Playhouse | Wrong-House Neighbor | 1989 |
| The Young Riders | Johnson | |
| Nasty Boys | Wetstone | 1990 |
| Father Dowling Mysteries | Drake | |
| Midnight Caller | Tom Barlow | |
| Santa Barbara | Motel Man / Rapist | 1991-1992 |
| Reasonable Doubts | Detective Earl Gaddis | 1991-1993 |
| Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Henry Barnes | 1993 |
| Thunder Alley | Leland DuParte | 1994-1995 |
| Home Improvement | Duke Miller | 1995 |
| High Incident | Father in Wreck | 1996 |
| Bone Chillers | Edgar Allan Poe | |
| Murder One | Donald Cleary | 1996-1997 |
| NYPD Blue | Truck Driver / Jesus Christ | 1997 |
| Moloney | Detective Ashton | |
| Spy Game | Thornbush | |
| Total Security | Detective McKissick | |
| Melrose Place | Ranger Virgil | 1998 |
| Pensacola: Wings of Gold | Lucas | |
| The Adventures of A.R.K. | Ranger Earl | |
| 3rd Rock from the Sun | Happy Doug | 1998-1999 |
| The X-Files | Coroner | 1999 |
| The Young and the Restless | Leo Sylvestri / Detective Jim McCastor | 1985, 1999-2000 |
| The Trouble with Normal | Gary | 2000-2001 |
| That '70s Show | Tony | 2001 |
| The Division | Fred Zito | |
| Star Trek: Enterprise | Adm. Daniel Leonard | |
| The West Wing | Carl | |
| Philly | Nelson Vanderhoff | |
| Days of Our Lives | Father Timothy Jansen | 1996-1997, 2000, 2002 |
| Andy Richter Controls the Universe | Craig | 2003 |
| Six Feet Under | Prison Officer Paddock | |
| Tremors | Sheriff Sam Boggs | |
| The Lyon's Den | Hank Ferris | |
| Monk | Sheriff Ronald Mathis | 2004 |
| Crossing Jordan | Ranger Diggory | |
| Deadwood | Whitney Ellsworth | 2004-2006 |
| The Unit | Lloyd Cole | 2006 |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Stanley Tanner | |
| Day Break | 'Uncle' Nick Vukovic | 2007 |
| Big Love | Carter Reese | |
| Tales from the Pub | Joe | |
| John from Cincinnati | Vietnam Joe | |
| Criminal Minds | Sheriff Williams | |
| Harper's Island | Sheriff Charlie Mills | 2009 |
| Psych | Stinky Pete Dillingham | |
| Law & Order: LA | Frank Loomis | 2010 |
| The Mentalist | Cobb Holwell | |
| Lie to Me | Gus Sloan | |
| Love Bites | Trucker | 2011 |
| Breaking Bad | Lawson | 2011-2012 |
| Dexter | Clint McKay | 2012 |
| Justified | Sheriff Shelby Parlow | 2011-2013 |
| The Middle | Eddie Stokes | 2013 |
| Mike & Molly | Dwight | |
| Longmire | Lee Rosky | |
| Revolution | John Franklin Fry | |
| Major Crimes | Donald Beckwith | 2014 |
| Nikki & Nora: The N&N Files | Arliss Fontenot | |
| NCIS | Captain Tom O'Rourke | |
| Better Call Saul | Lawson | 2016 |
| Bones | George Gibbons | |
| The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy | George Darling | 2015-2017 |
| NCIS: New Orleans | Rig Manager Jackson Hauser | 2017 |
| Timeless | Jake Neville | |
| Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders | Deputy Director Walter Atwood | |
| Shut Eye | Bob Caygeon | |
| The Hillywood Show | Bobby | 2018 |
| The Ranch | Chuck | 2017-2019 |
| Watchmen | Andy | 2019 |
| Young Sheldon | Kenneth | 2020 |
| Supernatural | Bobby Singer / Demon / Worm / Leviathan | 2006-2020 |
| The Boys: VNN (Seven on 7) | Secretary of Defense Robert A. Singer (voice) | 2021 |
| B Positive | Spencer | 2021-2022 |
| The Winchesters | Bobby Singer | 2023 |
| Outer Range | Harrison Farber | 2024 |
| Night Visions | The Wizard | 2025 |
| The Boys | Secretary of Defense Robert A. Singer | 2019-present |
| Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Warnings | The Artist | 1979 |
| File 8022 | Ben Crysler | 1985 |
| The Cherry | The Captain | 1989 |
| Mergers & Accquisitions | Gabby Hayes | |
| Aimee Mann: Save Me (Music Video) | Jim | 1999 |
| Impala | Sheriff Bert Davis | |
| Fraud | Detective Mason | 2000 |
| Wave Babes (Video) | Amos Nandy (uncredited) | 2003 |
| Beck and Call (TV Short) | Principal | 2004 |
| Reflections | Frank | 2008 |
| The Silence of Bees | Parker Lam | |
| In the A.M. of Dec. 26th at Mickey's (on the Corner of Cunningham & Kongosak in Barrow) | Radio D.J. (voice) | |
| The Thrilling Adventure Hour: Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars (Podcast Series) | Norman | 2013 |
| El Fuego | Narrator (voice) | 2015 |
| Schmo Boat | The Captain | |
| Silent War | Bartender | |
| Injection | Pops | 2016 |
| The Angry River | Jacob Alsea | 2017 |
| Scripts Gone Wild Zombie Nightmare (Video) | 2019 | |
| Mama Bear | Doctor | |
| Teddy | Theodore Roosevelt (voice) | 2021 |
| The Pack Podcast (Podcast Series) | Emmett (voice) | |
| Liberty | Stace Lamott |
External Links[]
Jim Beaver on Wikipedia
Jim Beaver at the Internet Movie Database- Follow Jim Beaver (@jumblejim) on Twitter
- Follow Jim Beaver on Instagram
