James McEachin, 'Play Misty for Me' & Perry Mason Actor, Dead at 94

James McEachin, a longtime character actor noted as an early Black lead on a primetime drama series, has been confirmed dead at 94.

THR cited a U.S. Army listing in announcing his January 11 death. McEachin was interred in April. No family announcement was made.

Born May 20, 1930, McEachin served in Korea, and was the recipient of a Silver Star and a Purple Heart. He also worked as a cop and as a fireman.

In the '60s, he moved to the West Coast and successfully wrote music under the name Jimmy Mack, working with the likes of Otis Redding and the Furys ahead of turning to acting.

In 1966, he made his feature debut in "I Crossed the Color Line" aka "The Black Klansman." Due to his stolid military demeanor, he was often cast as a member of law enforcement, a virtuous citizen, or a square, but always bringing layers of personality to his performances.

He got busy immediately, and wound up in two of 1969's most high-profile films, "True Grit" and "Hello, Dolly!," much to his surprise.

Among his many feature films, he stood out in works by his good friend Clint Eastwood: he was DJ Sweet Al Monte in "Play Misty for Me" (1971) and Detective Barnes in "Sudden Impact" (1983). His co-star in the latter, Mara Corday, also died this year, and her death also went initially unreported.

In 1972, McEachin landed one of his most memorable TV gigs, as an incorruptible IRS agent on an episode of "All in the Family." He shortly thereafter was cast as the lead in the series "Tenafly" (1973-1974). It only lasted five episodes, but was a rare example of a primetime drama with a Black man as its star.

Along with dozens of TV guest spots on hits like "Mannix" (1968), "Hawaii Five-0" (1968), "The Wild, Wild West" (1969), "Columbo" (1972 & 1978), and "The Rockford Files" (1974), he became a familiar part of the Perry Mason TV movies from 1985-1996, working with Raymond Burr and, following Burr's passing, Hal Holbrook.

He recurred on "Matlock" (1986-1987) and was a regular on "First Monday" (2002), winding up with more than 120 TV and film credits.

In 2008 and 2011, he starred in the one-man show "Above the Call: Beyond the Duty," which played in D.C. and L.A. He was also the author of many books, among them his 2021 memoir "Swing Low My Sweet Chariot: The Ballad of Jimmy Mack."

McEachin was preceded in death in 2017 by his wife of nearly 60 years, Lois.