US: The actor James Coburn, famed for his action roles and poignant characterisations in a career spanning more than 40 years, died of a heart attack yesterday. He was 74.
Coburn had been listening to music at his Beverly Hills home with his wife, when he was struck by a massive heart attack. Although the actor starred in many memorable films including his 1960 breakthrough The Magnificent Seven and the 1966 spy spoof Our Man Flint, he never secured a career-defining role until the 1998 drama Affliction, for which he won an Academy Award. He is survived by his wife, Paula, two children, Lisa and James Jr., and two grandchildren. - (Reuters)