James Mason was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England to John and Mabel Mason on May 15^th 1909. He was born into a well to do family with his father being a wealthy merchant. His college years were spent reading architecture at Cambridge University which is where he first became interested in acting. He took part in acting companies in his spare time and finally joined the Old Vic theater in London in 1933.  His early days of acting placed him in primarily stage roles, but when he had his first film role, it only last a few days before he was fired.In 1937 Mason had an unbilled role in ‘Fire Over England’, an adventure film featuring Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. Mason had a small role as Hillary Vane.

Mason was a conscientious objector during the Second World War and began his serious acting career with roles in ‘The Man in Grey’ with Stewart Granger and Margaret Lockwood and then in ‘The Wicked Lady’ which saw him starring with Margaret Lockwood once again and Griffin Jones.1954 was the year Mason worked for Disney in ’20,000 Leagues under the Sea’ when he appeared as Captain Nemo along side Kirk Douglas and 1959 Mason starred  in another Hollywood blockbuster, ‘North by Northwest’ as Cary Grant’s tormentor, Phillip Vandamm.

With his soft, English accent and his gentlemanly good looks Mason was cast in a great array of roles from the original ‘A Star is Born’ with Judy Garland in 1954 to ‘The Dessert Rats’ with Richard Burton and Robert Douglas. During his acting career Mason received three Oscar nominations, his first was for ‘A Star is Born’ and the last one being for his role in ‘The Verdict’ in 1982 when he starred alongside Hollywood great, Paul Newman and the U.K’s, Charlotte Rampling. This movie has Bruce Willis as an uncredited extra role in this movie.His extremely ‘English’ gentleman attitude had Mason at one time being considered for the role of James Bond before the role finally went to Sean Connery.

1967 was an exceptionally auspicious year for Mason when he was named as the Film Actor of the Century at the 1967 Expo World Fair in Canada.Sam Neill had the advantage in the early days of his acting career of being mentored by Mason.

ABB