Sid James attack while performing on stage at the Sunderland Empire Theatre; he died in hospital an hour later. Some, including comedian Les Dawson, claim to have seen the ghost of James at the theatre, and subsequently refused to appear at the theatre again. James was born Solomon Joel Cohen on 8 May 1913, to Jewish parents in South Africa, later changing his name to Sidney Joel Cohen, and then Sidney James. His family lived on Hancock Street in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. Upon moving to the UK later in life, he claimed various previous occupations, including diamond cutter, dance tutor and boxer; in
James Tien (actor) (1986) "Eastern Condors" (1986) and "The Gambling Ghost" (1991). Tien also had roles in most of the handful of films that starred all three together, including "Winners and Sinners" (1983), "My Lucky Stars" (1985) and "Dragons Forever" (1988). Late in his career, he appeared with Andy Lau in "Lee Rock" and "Lee Rock II" (both 1991). His last acting role to date was in the final Lucky Stars film, "How to Meet the Lucky Stars" (1996), after which he retired. James Tien (actor) James Tien-chun (; born 28 May 1942) is a Hong Kong actor from Guangdong, China. He appeared