James Norman "Jim" Beaver, Jr. (born August 12, 1950) is an American stage, film, and television actor, playwright, screenwriter, director, and film historian. He is most familiar to worldwide audiences as the gruff but tenderhearted prospector Whitney Ellsworth on the HBO Western drama series Deadwood, a starring role which brought him acclaim and a Screen Actors Guild Awards nomination for Ensemble Acting after three decades of supporting work in films and TV. He portrayed Bobby Singer in the CW television series Supernatural and Sheriff Shelby Parlow on the FX series Justified. His memoir Life's That Way was published in April 2009.
Cecily Adams (m. 1989–2004), Debbie Young (m. 1973–1976)
Children
Madeline Rose Beaver
Parents
Dorothy Adell Crawford, James Norman Beaver, Sr.
Siblings
Teddlie Beaver, Denise Beaver, Reneé Beaver
Nominations
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Movies
Crimson Peak, Joy Ride, The Life of David Gale, Sister Act, Geronimo: An American Legend, Adaptation, Turner & Hooch, Hollywood Shuffle, Magnolia, Dark and Stormy Night, Blue Chips, Next, Gunsmoke: To the Last Man, Gunsmoke : The Long Ride, At Sachem Farm, Wheelmen, The Frontier, Twogether, Night Ri...
TV Shows
Harper's Island, John from Cincinnati, Deadwood, The Trouble with Normal, Thunder Alley, Reasonable Doubts, Supernatural, Total Security
Star Sign
Leo
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Fact
1
His father was of French and English heritage (the family name was originally de Beauvoir - changing to Bieber when they fled to Germany to escape the Hugenote persecution -, and Beaver is a distant cousin of author and philosopher Simone de Beauvoir and Pennsylvania Governor General James A. Beaver), and his mother is Scots-German-Cherokee and a descendant of Senator, Governor, and three-time U.S. Attorney General John J. Crittenden, in turn a first cousin twice removed of Thomas Jefferson, and whose first wife was a third cousin of Robert E. Lee's father and of Zachary Taylor.
2
Son of James Norman Beaver, Sr. (1924-2004), a Minister, and wife Dorothy Adell Crawford. Has three younger sisters: Denise, Reneé and Teddlie.
3
Nominated for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series at the 2013 Broadcast Television Journalists Awards, for his performance as Sheriff Shelby Parlow in season 4 of '"Justified' (2010)'.
4
Speaks rudimentary German and Japanese. The scene in Season 4 of Supernatural where Bobby is revealed to speak Japanese was included at his suggestion.
5
Worked at Frontier City Theme Park in Oklahoma City as a Gunfighter.
6
As of 7/7/07, was the seventh most prolific writer of IMDb plot summaries and the seventh most prolific writer of IMDb mini biographies.
At this writing (2013) is preparing a definitive biography of Superman actor George Reeves. He recently served as historical consultant on the film about Reeves' life, Hollywoodland (2006).
$900,000
