Jim Beaver

James Norman Beaver Jr. (born August 12, 1950) is an American actor, writer, and film historian. He portrayed Bobby Singer in Supernatural. He also played Whitney Ellsworth on the HBO Western drama series Deadwood, which brought him acclaim and a Screen Actors Guild Awards nomination for Ensemble Acting, Sheriff Shelby Parlow on the FX series Justified, and Robert "Dakota Bob" Singer on the Amazon Prime Video series The Boys. He appeared in starring roles in two films directed by Guillermo del Toro, Crimson Peak and Nightmare Alley. His memoir Life's That Way was published in April 2009.

Early life Beaver was born in Laramie, Wyoming, the son of Dorothy Adell and James Norman Beaver, 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.

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. 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.

Military service and education Fewer than two months after his graduation from high school, Beaver followed several of his close friends into the United States Marine Corps. Following basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Beaver was trained there as a microwave radio relay technician. He served at Marine Corps Base Twentynine Palms and at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton before being transferred to the 1st Marine Division near Da Nang, South Vietnam in 1970. He served as a radio operator at an outlying detachment of the 1st Marine Regiment, then as supply chief for the division communications company. He returned to the U.S. in 1971 and was discharged as a Corporal (E-4), though he remained active in the Marine Reserve until 1976.

Upon his release from active duty in 1971, Beaver returned to Irving, and worked briefly for Frito-Lay as a corn-chip dough mixer. He entered what is now Oklahoma Christian University, where he became interested in theatre. He made his true theatrical debut in a small part in The Miracle Worker. The following year, he transferred to Central State University (now known as the University of Central Oklahoma). He performed in numerous plays in college and supported himself as a cabdriver, a movie projectionist, a tennis-club maintenance man, and an amusement-park stuntman at Frontier City. He also worked as a newscaster and hosted jazz and classical music programs on radio station KCSC. During his college days, he also began to write, completing several plays as well as his first book, on actor John Garfield, while still a student. Beaver graduated with a degree in oral communications in 1975. He briefly pursued graduate studies, but soon returned to Irving, Texas.

Career

Beaver made his professional stage debut in October 1972, while still a college student, in Rain, from W. Somerset Maugham's short story, at the Oklahoma Theatre Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. After returning to Texas, he performed extensively in local theatre in the Dallas area, supporting himself as a film cleaner at a 16 mm film rental firm and as a stagehand for the Dallas Ballet. He joined the Shakespeare Festival of Dallas in 1976, performing in numerous productions. In 1979, he was commissioned by Actors Theatre of Louisville to write the first of three plays for that company (Spades, Sidekick and Semper Fi), and was twice a finalist in the theatre's national Great American Play Contest (for Once Upon a Single Bound and Verdigris). Along with plays, he continued writing for film journals and for several years was a columnist, critic, and feature writer for the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures magazine Films in Review.

Moving to New York City in 1979, Beaver worked steadily onstage in stock and on tour, simultaneously writing plays and researching a biography of actor George Reeves. He continues to pursue this project between acting jobs. He appeared in starring roles in such plays as The Hasty Heart and The Rainmaker in Birmingham, Alabama, and The Lark in Manchester, New Hampshire, and toured the country as Macduff in Macbeth and in The Last Meeting of the Knights of the White Magnolia. During this period, he ghostwrote the book Movie Blockbusters for critic Steven Scheuer.

In 1983, he moved to Los Angeles, California, to continue research on his biography of George Reeves. He worked for a year as the film archivist for the Variety Arts Center. Following a reading of his play Verdigris, he was asked to join the prestigious Theatre West company in Hollywood, where he continues as an actor and playwright to this day. Verdigris was produced to positive reviews in 1985 and Beaver was signed by the Triad Artists agency. He immediately began to work writing episodes of television series including Alfred Hitchcock Presents (he received a 1987 CableACE Award nomination for his very first TV script for this show), Tour of Duty and Vietnam War Story. He also worked occasionally in small roles in films and television.

The 1988 Writers Guild of America strike fundamentally altered the freelance television writing market, and Beaver's television writing career came to an abrupt halt. A chance meeting led to his being cast as the best friend of star Bruce Willis in Norman Jewison's drama about Vietnam veterans, In Country, and his acting career began flourishing where his writing career had faltered. Beaver was the only actual Vietnam veteran among the principal cast of In Country.

Subsequently, he has appeared in many popular films, including Sister Act, Sliver, Bad Girls, Adaptation., Magnolia, and The Life of David Gale. He starred in the television series Thunder Alley as the comic sidekick to Ed Asner, and as homicide cop Earl Gaddis on Reasonable Doubts. He was also French Stewart's sullen boss Happy Doug on the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun.

In 2002, Beaver was cast as one of the stars of the ensemble Western drama Deadwood in the role of Whitney Ellsworth, a goldminer whom he often described as "Gabby Hayes with Tourette syndrome". Ellsworth went from being a filth-covered reprobate to marrying the richest woman in town and becoming a beloved and stalwart figure in the community. Originally Ellsworth did not have a first name, but when it became necessary to provide one, Beaver requested he be named Whitney Ellsworth, after the producer of George Reeves's Adventures of Superman. He continued his long research for the Reeves biography, and in 2005 served as the historical and biographical consultant on the theatrical feature film about Reeves's death, Hollywoodland.

Beaver joined the cast of the HBO drama John from Cincinnati in 2006, while simultaneously playing the recurring roles of Bobby Singer on Supernatural and Carter Reese on another HBO drama Big Love, appearing at least once a season on Supernatural. He then took on the role of Sheriff Charlie Mills in the CBS drama Harper's Island. He recurred as the gun dealer Lawson on Breaking Bad and its prequel Better Call Saul, and played Sheriff Shelby Parlow for three seasons on FX's Justified.

Following his acclaimed work in Justified, Beaver had a starring role in Guillermo del Toro's gothic ghost story feature film, Crimson Peak, in a part del Toro wrote for him. He also had roles in the feature films The Frontier and Billy Boy.

His memoir about the year after his wife's 2003 lung cancer diagnosis, titled Life's That Way, was purchased in a preemptive bid by Putnam/Penguin publishers in the fall of 2007. Prior to publication in April, 2009, it was chosen for the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers program for 2009.

Beaver was nominated for Best Guest Performance in a Drama by the Broadcast Television Journalists' Association Critics' Choice Awards in 2013, for his performance as Sheriff Shelby Parlow on Justified.

He wrote and directed the short film Night Riders (2013), based upon his play of the same title.

In 2014, he was given the Lifetime Merit Award of the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema.

Beaver studied acting with Clyde Ventura and Academy Award-winning actor Maximilian Schell.

In March 2015, Theatre West presented a 30th anniversary revival of Beaver's play Verdigris, with Beaver in a starring role.

Actress Maureen Stapleton played the leading role in a workshop of Beaver's play Verdigris in 1985 at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. In June, 2016, Beaver returned to the Festival to play Big Daddy in Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Since 2018, Beaver has portrayed Secretary of Defense/U.S. presidential candidate/U.S. President Robert "Dakota Bob" Singer on the Amazon series The Boys, produced by Eric Kripke, creator of Supernatural. Beaver's characters on The Boys and Supernatural share the same name.

In March 2023, he reprised his role as Bobby Singer in The Winchesters spinoff series.

Beaver was awarded the 2023 Soaring Talent Award for Career Achievement by the Tallgrass Film Festival.

In addition to his film and television work, Beaver has, as of mid-2025, appeared in over 110 stage productions.

In September, 2014, Beaver announced that he had been made a member of the Cherokee Elders Council.

Personal life For several years after his 1983 move to California, Beaver shared a house with character actor Hank Worden, whom he considered a close friend and surrogate grandfather. He became friends with Worden as a child, after writing him a fan letter that sparked a lengthy correspondence between them.

During college, Beaver married a fellow student, Debbie Young, in August 1973. They separated four months later but did not divorce until 1976.

In 1989, after four years of dating, Beaver married actress and casting director Cecily Adams, daughter of comic actor and voiceover artist Don Adams. Their daughter Madeline was born in 2001. (She now portrays the lead character in the video game Ava.) Adams, though a non-smoker, died of lung cancer on March 3, 2004. Beaver filed for divorce from Spiegel on August 24, 2022, citing irreconcilable differences. Their divorce was final on January 23, 2024.

Filmography

Film

Year Title RoleNotes 1977 Semi-Tough B.E.A.T. Member Uncredited 1978 The Seniors Client Uncredited 1979 Warnings The Artist Short film 1981 Nighthawks Subway Passenger Uncredited 1983 Girls of the White Orchid Pedestrian Uncredited; alternative title Death Ride to Osaka Silkwood Plant Manager Uncredited 1985 File 8022 Ben Crysler 1987 Sweet Revenge Smuggler Uncredited Hollywood Shuffle Postal Worker 1988 Two Idiots in Hollywood Crying Man Defense Play FBI Agent 1989 Mergers & Acquisitions Gabby Hayes Short film Turner & Hooch Plant Manager The Cherry The Captain Short film In Country Earl Smith 1990 El Diablo Spivey Irick The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson Major Trimble 1991 Little Secrets Liquor Store Cashier Credited as Richard Muldoon 1992 Sister Act Detective Clarkson 1993 Sliver Detective Ira Geronimo: An American Legend Proclamation Officer 1994 Twogether Oscar Blue Chips Ricky's Father Children of the Dark Roddy Gibbons Deliberately uncredited Bad Girls Pinkerton Detective Graves 1997Wounded Agent Eric Ashton 1998 At Sachem Farm Foreman 1999 Impala Sheriff Bert Davis Short film Ah! Silenciosa Ambrose Bierce Short film Magnolia Smiling Peanut Patron #1 2000 Fraud Detective Mason Short film Where the Heart Is 'Clawhammer' Scenes deleted 2001 Joy Ride Sheriff Ritter 2002 Wheelmen Agent Hammond Adaptation. Ranger Tony 2003 The Life of David Gale Duke Grover Wave Babes Amos Nandy The Commission Howard L. Brennan 2007 Next FBI Director Wisdom Cooties The Man Short film 2008 Reflections Frank Short film The Silence of Bees Parker Lam Short film 2009 Dark and Stormy Night Jack Tugdon 2011 The Legend of Hell's Gate: An American Conspiracy J. Wright Mooar 2013 Night Riders Short film; writer, director, executive producer 2015 The Frontier Lee Crimson Peak Carter Cushing 2016 Injection Pops 2017 Billy Boy Crabtree Remember The Sultana Joseph Taylor Elliott / First Engineering Officer Nathaniel Wintringer The Angry River Jacob Alsea 2018 Hospitality "The Boss" 2019 Mama Bear Doctor 2020 Blindfire Sergeant Ward 2021 Nightmare Alley Sheriff Jedediah Judd 2021 Liberty Stace Lamott 2021 Teddy Theodore Roosevelt 2025 No More Time The Radio Host 2024 Rock and Doris (Try to) Write a Movie Mayor Astor Cargan 2026 Chimera Ben 2026 Greg's Going to Rehab Gus 2026 What Was Planned George

Television

Year Title RoleNotes 1978 Desperado Nathan TV film 1978–1979 Dallas Diner / Julie's Gardener 2 episodes 1979 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Cowboy Player TV film 1986 Divorce Court Wrench McCoy 1987 Jake and the Fatman Defense Attorney Episode: "Fatal Attraction" 1988 Matlock Barney Sutler Episode: "The Umpire" Paradise Frank Foster Episode: "The Holstered Gun" Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake Motel Manager TV film 1989 CBS Summer Playhouse Wrong House Neighbor Episode: "Elysian Fields" The Young Riders Johnson Episode: "The Kid" Mothers, Daughters and Lovers Sheriff Jack Edzard TV film 1990 Follow Your Heart Craig Hraboy TV film Midnight Caller Tom Barlow Episode: "Ryder on the Storm" Nasty Boys Wetstone Episode: "Desert Run" Father Dowling Mysteries Drake Episode: "The Murder Weekend Mystery" 1991–1993 Santa Barbara Andy, The Rapist / Motel Man 5 episodes Reasonable Doubts Detective Earl Gaddis 13 episodes 1992 Gunsmoke: To the Last Man Deputy Willie Rudd TV film 1993 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Henry Barnes Episode: "I'm Looking Through You" Gunsmoke: The Long Ride Traveling blacksmith TV film 1994-1995 Thunder Alley Leland DuParte 28 episodes 1995 Home Improvement Duke Miller Episode: "Doctor in the House" Unsolved Mysteries Himself Episode: "Who Killed Superman?" 1996 High Incident Father In Wreck Episode: "Women & Children First" 1996–1997 Murder One Donald Cleary 2 episodes 1996 Bone Chillers Edgar Allan Poe Episode: "Edgar Allan Poe-Session" 1996–2004 Days of Our Lives Father Timothy Jansen 26 episodes 1997 NYPD Blue Truck Driver / Jesus Christ Episode: "Taillight's Last Gleaming" Moloney Detective Ashton Episode: "The Ripple Effect" Spy Game Thornbush Episode: "Lorne and Max Drop the Ball" Total Security Detective McKissick Episode: "Das Bootie" Divided by Hate Danny Leland TV film 1998 Melrose Place Ranger Virgil Episode: "Amanda's Back" Pensacola: Wings of Gold Actor Episode: "Power Play" Mr. Murder Agent Jason Reiling TV film 1998–1999 E! Mysteries & Scandals Himself 2 episodes 3rd Rock from the Sun Doug 'Happy Doug' 7 episodes 1999 The X-Files Coroner Episode: "Field Trip" 2000 Biography Himself Episode: "George Reeves: The Perils of a Superhero" The Trouble with Normal Gary 8 episodes 2001 That '70s Show Tony Episode: "Who Wants It More?" The Division Fred Zito Episode: "High on the Hog" Star Trek: Enterprise Admiral Daniel Leonard Episode: "Broken Bow: Part 1" The West Wing Carl Episode: "Manchester: Part 1" Philly Nelson Vanderhoff Episode: "Loving Sons" Warden of Red Rock Jefferson Bent TV film 2003 Andy Richter Controls the Universe Craig Episode: "Charity Begins in Cellblock D" Six Feet Under Prison Officer Episode: "Twilight" Tremors Sheriff Sam Boggs Episode: "Water Hazard" The Lyon's Den Hank Ferris Episode: "The Other Side of Caution" 2004 Monk Sheriff Mathis Episode: "Mr. Monk Gets Married" Crossing Jordan Ranger Diggory Episode: "Revealed" 2004–2006 Deadwood Whitney Ellsworth 28 episodes 2006 The Unit Lloyd Cole Episode: "Manhunt" CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Stanley Tanner 2 episodes 2006–2020 Supernatural Bobby Singer 69 episodes 2007 Day Break Nick 'Uncle Nick' Vukovic 5 episodes John from Cincinnati Joe 'Vietnam Joe' 8 episodes Big Love Carter Reese 3 episodes Criminal Minds Sheriff Williams Episode: "Identify" 2009 Harper's Island Sheriff Charlie Mills 11 episodes Psych Pete 'Stinky Pete' Dillingham Episode: "High Noon-ish" 2010 Law & Order: LA Frank Loomis Episode: "Hollywood" The Mentalist Cobb Holwell Episode: "The Red Ponies" Lie to Me Gus Episode: "Veronica" Love Bites Trucker Episode: "Keep On Truckin'" 2011–2012 Breaking Bad Lawson 2 episodes 2011–2013 Justified Sheriff Shelby Parlow 14 episodes 2012 Dexter Clint McKay Episode: "The Dark...Whatever" 2013 The Middle Mr. Stokes Episode: "Dollar Days" Mike & Molly Dwight 2 episodes Longmire Lee Roskey Episode: "Natural Order" Revolution John Franklin Fry 2 episodes 2014 Major Crimes Donald Beckwith Episode: "Return to Sender Part 2" NCIS Captain Tom O'Rourke Episode: "The San Dominick" 2015–2017 The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy George Darling Web series 2016 Better Call Saul Lawson 2 episodes; Same character from Breaking Bad Bones George Gibbons Episode: "The Monster in the Closet" 2017 NCIS: New Orleans Jackson Hauser, Rig Manager Episode: "Hell on the High Water" Timeless Jake Neville 3 episodes Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders Donald Atwood Episode: "Blowback" Shut Eye Bob Caygeon 2 episodes 2017–2019 The Ranch Chuck Phillips 12 episodes 2019–2026 The Boys Robert A. "Dakota Bob" Singer 11 episodes 2019 Watchmen Andy Episode: "Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship" 2020 Young Sheldon Kenneth Episode: "Contracts, Rules and a Little Bit of Pig Brains" 2021 B Positive Spencer Williams Recurring role; 14 episodes 2023 The Winchesters Bobby Singer Episode: "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye" Same character from Supernatural 2024 Outer Range Harrison Farber Episode: "Ode to Joy" 2025 Night Visions The Wizard

Online + Year Title Role Notes 2021 Vought News Network: Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman Robert "Dakota Bob" Singer (voice) Guest role; web series promoting The Boys

Literary works

Books John Garfield: His Life and Films (1978) Movie Blockbusters (with Steven Scheuer) (1982, revised edition 1983) Life's That Way: A Memoir (2009) The Oliver Stone Experience (2016) by Matt Zoller Seitz; (contributing essayist)

Fiction The Afternoon Blood Show, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, April 29, 1981 Blood Show, Nawyecka Productions, 2024. (Novella, a revision of the story The Afternoon Blood Show)

Plays The Cop and the Anthem (adapted from the short story by O. Henry) (1973) Once Upon a Single Bound (1974) The American Way (2011) Whigs, Pigs, and Greyhounds (2011) Lettering (2013) Marmeladov (2026)

Magazine articles "John Wayne", Films in Review, May 1977 "George Raft", Films in Review, April 1978 "John Carradine", Films in Review, October 1979 "James Stewart", Films in Review, October 1980 "Steve McQueen", Films in Review, August–September 1981 "Frank Perry", Films in Review, November 1981 "Strother Martin", Films in Review, November 1982 "Ad Glib" (regular column). Films in Review, November 1981 – December 1983