James Hampton

James Wade Hampton (July 9, 1936 – April 7, 2021) was an American actor, television director, and screenwriter. He is best known for his TV roles such as Private Hannibal Shirley Dobbs on F Troop (1965–1967), Leroy B. Simpson on The Doris Day Show (1968–1969), Love, American Style (1969–1974), and his movie roles such as "Caretaker" in The Longest Yard, a role which garnered him a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, as Howard Clemmons in Hawmps! (1976), Harold Howard in Teen Wolf (1985), and its sequel, Teen Wolf Too (1987), and as Jerry Woolridge in Sling Blade (1996).

Early life Hampton was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the son of Edna (Gately), who worked at a millinery, and Ivan Hampton, who ran a dry cleaning business. He was raised in Dallas, Texas, and majored in theatre arts at the University of North Texas in Denton. While attending UNT, he was a member of the Gamma Lambda chapter of Kappa Alpha Order. After a series of jobs including bodyguard, bartender, and photojournalist, he was inducted into the United States Army. He was stationed in Germany and performed with the USO, for which he won awards.

Career Following his service, he performed in summer stock in Texas and then moved to New York City, where he had his first film role, in the Academy Award-nominated short subject The Cliffdwellers.

His next role was as the lead character in a May 1963 Gunsmoke episode entitled "Jeb", featuring his friend and series regular Burt Reynolds. Hampton returned to Gunsmoke later that year in "Pa Hack’s Brood" (S9E13), again as a character named Jeb, although Marshal Dillon makes no reference in this episode to the previous appearance. Hampton returned to Gunsmoke one more time as the title character (and hilarious cousin to Festus) in the 1965 episode ' "Eliab’s Aim". In 1964, he was cast as publisher William Randolph Hearst in the episode "The Paper Dynasty" of the television series Death Valley Days.

Hampton is known for his roles in ABC's F Troop(1965-1967) as Hannibal Dobbs, the incompetent bugler; CBS's The Doris Day Show (1968 until March 1973) as Leroy, the handyman; Robert Aldrich's The Longest Yard (1974); Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan (1975); Teen Wolf (1985), and its sequel, Teen Wolf Too (1987); the Teen Wolf television series (1986 to 1989); Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach (1988); and Sling Blade (1996). Hampton guest-starred as Jim Rockford's childhood friend Aaron Ironwood in a 1975 episode of NBC's The Rockford Files. He received a HALO Award for Hawmps! (1976), and a Golden Globe Award nomination for "Most Promising Newcomer" for the part of "Caretaker" in The Longest Yard. In 1980, he starred alongside Gary Collins in the low-budget movie Hangar 18. In 2012 Hampton appeared in an advertisement on MeTV touting some of the shows in which he had guest-starred, including Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and The Rockford Files.

Personal life Hampton married actress Mary Deese in 2002. He was the father of three children: James, Andrea and Frank.

Death He died of complications from Parkinson's disease on April 7, 2021, at his home in Fort Worth, Texas. He was 84.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1968 Fade In George 1970 Soldier Blue Private Menzies 1972 Justin Morgan Had a Horse Aaron 1973 The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing Jimmy Uncredited 1974 The Longest Yard Caretaker1975 W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings Junior Mackintosh and T.J. Cotton Hustle Bus Driver 1976 Hawmps! Howard Clemmons 1978 The Cat from Outer Space Captain Anderson 1979 The China Syndrome Bill Gibson 1980 Hangar 18 Lew Price Alternative title: Invasion Force 1981 Condorman Harry Oslo 1985 Teen Wolf Harold Howard 1987 Teen Wolf Too Uncle Harold Howard 1988 Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach Mayor of Miami 1990 Pump Up the Volume Arthur Watts 1991 The Giant of Thunder Mountain Jesse 1996 Sling Blade Jerry Woolridge2000 Danny and Max Sheriff Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel Pediatrician 2008 Fire from Below Griffith2011 Jacob Mayor Jack Flynn The Last Ride Judge Matheny2014 Flutter Leon Big Stone Gap Reverend Manning 2015 Divine Access Mr. Bernstein 2016 The Association Gene Seward Direct-to-video

Television Year Title Role Notes 1963–1965 Gunsmoke Jeb Willis / Eliab Haggen 3 episodes, credited as Jim Hampton 1964 Death Valley Days William Randolph Hearst 1 episode1965 Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Branch Eversole 1 episode, credited as Jim Hampton Rawhide Charlie Peck, The Blackmailer Episode: "Mrs. Harmon" 1965–1967 F Troop Private Hannibal Shirley Dobbs 65 episodes 1967 Cimarron Strip Sam 1 episode 1968–1969 The Doris Day Show Leroy B. Simpson 14 episodes 1970 Bracken's World J.F. Nash 1 episode1972 The Wonderful World of Disney Aaron 2 episodes The F.B.I. Charles 'Red' Brian Clayborne 1 episode 1973 Hawkins Earl Coleman Episode: "A Life for a Life" 1974 The Manhunter Lon Tyrell 1 episode1975 Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan Harry Dudley Television movie Mannix Billy Lee 1 episode The Rockford Files Aaron Ironwood 1 episode1977 The Red Hand Gang Tosca (Kidnapper) 5 episodes The Amazing Howard Hughes Wilbur Peterson Television movieThe Tonight Show Himself May 4, 1977 episode 1978 Mary Skit Characters 3 episodes 1979 Centennial Defense Attorney Prescott Miniseries1980 B.A.D. Cats Link Unknown episodes The Dukes of Hazzard Sheriff Buster Moon Episode: "Return of the Ridge Raiders" 1981 Stand By Your Man Billy Sherrill Television movie 1981–1982 Maggie Len Weston 8 episodes 1982 World War III Richard Hickman Miniseries1983 The Greatest American Hero Sheriff 1 episode Boone Mr. Slater Episode: "The Graduation" Tales of the Gold Monkey Alan Shoemate Episode: "Cooked Goose"1984 The Burning Bed Police Witness Television movie Matt Houston Mr. Stevens 2 episodes 1984–1985 Who's the Boss? Herb / Officer 2 episodes 1984–1986 Murder, She Wrote Veterinarian / Jerry Blevins 2 episodes1985 Otherworld Fred Roach 1 episode Simon & Simon Odell Mitchell 1 episode 1986–1989 Punky Brewster Alvin / Jimmy John 2 episodes 1986–1987 Teen Wolf Harold Howard (Voice) 21 episodes 1987 Houston Knights Scully 3 episodes 1988 Superboy Coach Episode: The Fixer1989 Mama's Family Keith Wheeler Episode: "The Mama of Invention" Days of Our Lives Saul Taylor 49 episodes 1989–1990 Full House Mr. Malatesta 3 episodes1990 Perfect Strangers Mac McIntyre Episode: "Nightmare Vacation" Newhart Father Ken 1 episode Get a Life Fletcher 1 episode 1991 The Hogan Family Raymond 1 episode 1992–1993 Evening Shade Director, 7 episodes 1993 Hearts Afire Director, 1 episode 1994 Melrose Place Harry Alan Episode: "It's a Bad World After All" 1995 Hope and Gloria Bob 1 episode 1997 Fired Up Ben Franklin 1 episode1997–1998 Grace Under Fire Director, 4 episodes Smart Guy Director, 3 episodes Sister, Sister Director, 5 episodes 1998–1999 Linc's Director, 3 episodes 2000 Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane Director, 3 episodes

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result 1975 Golden Globe Awards Most Promising Newcomer – Male The Longest Yard 1996 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Motion Picture Sling Blade