James became well known for playing the comic-relief role of Louisiana Sheriff J.W. Pepper in the James Bond films "Live and Let Die" (1973) and "The Man With The Golden Gun" (1974). He played very similar characters in both "Silver Streak" (1976) and "Superman II" (1980). Years earlier he portrayed a serious character in "The Reivers" (1969), opposite Steve McQueen, playing a mean, corrupt country sheriff. Two years earlier he had portrayed a hard-nosed Southern prison floor-walker in "Cool Hand Luke" (1967). In "Juggernaut" (1974) he portrayed one of the first passengers aboard a luxury liner to realize there was a serious problem with the ship.