James Kirkwood, Sr. Video | Celebrity Interview and Paparazzi

James Kirkwood, Sr. (February 22, 1875, Grand Rapids, Michigan – August 24, 1963, Woodland Hills, California) was an American actor and director. According to author Sean Egan, Kirkwood, Sr. was actually exactly a year younger than is widely believed. He debuted on screen in 1909 and was soon playing leads for D.W. Griffith. He started directing in 1912, and became a favorite of Mary Pickford. In 1923 he married actress Lila Lee; with her, he had a son, James Kirkwood, Jr., who became a writer. His directing career fizzled in 1920, but he continued acting well into the... MORE

James Kirkwood, Sr. (February 22, 1875, Grand Rapids, Michigan – August 24, 1963, Woodland Hills, California) was an American actor and director. According to author Sean Egan, Kirkwood, Sr. was actually exactly a year younger than is widely believed. He debuted on screen in 1909 and was soon playing leads for D.W. Griffith. He started directing in 1912, and became a favorite of Mary Pickford. In 1923 he married actress Lila Lee; with her, he had a son, James Kirkwood, Jr., who became a writer. His directing career fizzled in 1920, but he continued acting well into the 1950s. Kirkwood’s film career would eventually span more than two hundred films over nearly a half century. Many years later his son, James Jr., would become a successful writer, winning both a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize for A Chorus Line. Following his death at age 88, he was interred at the Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City. LESS