Who was Judith James? American TV Producer Dead at 86

Judith James was an American film producer who was also a longtime collaborator of popular actor, Richard Dreyfuss. They worked together for 35 years until her death.

“From the minute I met Judith James at the Mark Taper Forum, I knew I had found someone who had the same passion for storytelling that I did. In all the years we were producing partners, we were of like mind, not gender, and we always found a way to agree and wouldn’t have done anything without each other’s approval. She was a wonderful woman and a great friend,” longtime friend and collaborator, Richard Dreyfuss shared in a tribute statement.

Some of her movies include Brotherhood of Justice, Quiz Show, Mad Dog Time, The Forest, Having Our Say: The Delany’s Sisters’ First 100 Years, and more.

James died at the age of 86 after battling cancer. Her death occurred on Friday, June 14, 2023.

Born in 1937, she graduated from Vassar College in 1959 and moved to New York to pursue a career in the theatre. She produced an incredible interracial off-Broadway play titled In White America, which won her a Drama Desk prize in 1964.

She was the founder and leader of The James Gang, a political network that met for more than 20 years in her living room. According to sources, the group was made up of mayors, presidential candidates, authors, and experts.