# What race was James Coburn? Was he part Asian? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251 "2011-04-21T16:58:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/1 "2011-04-21T16:58:56Z")
Recently I watched the ridiculous _In Like Flint_, a spy spoof starring James Coburn. Throughout the film, I found myself wondering about the ethnic background of Coburn. He is a very interesting-looking man. He had extremely strong facial features, and there is definitely something about him that looks “exotic” to me. [Here](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=james%20coburn&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1416&bih=705) you can see for yourself a wide array of pictures of Coburn. [Here,](http://silverfoxes.provocateuse.com/images/photos/james_coburn_01.jpg) specifically, and [here,](http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/021119/967__coburn_l.jpg) I really think he looks part Japanese. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/2 "2011-04-21T17:10:17Z")
The New England Historic Genealogical Society via [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Coburn) says he’s Scots-Irish and Swedish. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/3 "2011-04-21T17:12:26Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > The New England Historic Genealogical Society via [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Coburn) says he’s Scots-Irish and Swedish. Well, actors sometimes have a way of changing their bios, though I don’t know why he would have done that. (It also says he grew up in Compton.) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/4 "2011-04-21T17:14:38Z")
I hate to just quote Wiki but it does say he was born in Nebraska and of Scots-Irish and Swedish descent. No reason to doubt that. One thing that may be telling regarding any potential asian ancestry, both Coburn and Steve McQueen were students of Bruce Lee. Both told Lee that in Hollywood he’d never be able to gain either of their star status because Lee was Chinese. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/5 "2011-04-21T17:19:04Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Well, actors sometimes have a way of changing their bios, though I don’t know why he would have done that. (It also says he grew up in Compton.) Here’s the actual article by the New England Historical Society guy: [http://www.newenglandancestors.org/research/services/56\_james\_coburn\_tribute.asp](http://www.newenglandancestors.org/research/services/56_james_coburn_tribute.asp) It’s true that he’s got a bunch of unknown ancestors, but I think those are the Swedish ones before they came to America. He wasn’t Japanese, he just squinted a lot. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/6 "2011-04-21T17:20:24Z")
I always conflate him with Lee Marvin. They looked a lot alike, and played similar kinds of roles. I never thought either of them looked particularly Asian. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/7 "2011-04-21T17:32:19Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > I always conflate him with Lee Marvin. They looked a lot alike, and played similar kinds of roles. I never thought either of them looked particularly Asian. I came in to make this same comparison. The long upper lip primarily. Their voices had similar qualities as well. Good voiceover types. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/8 "2011-04-21T17:33:30Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > I always conflate him with Lee Marvin. They looked a lot alike, and played similar kinds of roles. I never thought either of them looked particularly Asian. Conflate 😕 ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/9 "2011-04-21T17:34:43Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > He wasn’t Japanese, he just squinted a lot. Well, that’s a neat trick. He should’ve played Japanese parts. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/10 "2011-04-21T17:47:52Z")
> [@lukeinva](#): > > Conflate 😕 > **[Definition of CONFLATE](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conflate)** > > to bring together : blend; confuse; to combine (things, such as two versions of a text) into a composite whole… See the full definition ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/11 "2011-04-21T18:01:45Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Well, that’s a neat trick. He should’ve played Japanese parts. At least they wouldn’t have had to use that ridiculous tape trick to make him look Japanese. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/12 "2011-04-21T18:05:45Z")
He doesn’t look terribly Asian to me, but he does look rather Swedish. I don’t see a reason in those photos to assume that he has hidden Asian ancestry. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/13 "2011-04-21T18:26:24Z")
He looks more part Native American (Indian) to me in those pics ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/14 "2011-04-21T18:41:52Z")
I agree that he has a bit of a funny look. But sometimes people’s features combine in certain ways so that they resemble members of other races, even though they may not have any mixed ancestry. See Bjork for another example. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/15 "2011-04-21T18:43:00Z")
He looks pretty run-of-the-mill white guy to me. I only looked at your last two links, and I’ll note that he’s pretty old in the shots, and old people often have features that are showing age rather than race. ---
**Author:** ![nani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58956e/32.png) [@nani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nani)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/16 "2011-04-21T19:27:24Z")
Maybe he had some [Sami](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami_people) ancestry on is Swedish side. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/17 "2011-04-21T19:31:00Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > I agree that he has a bit of a funny look. But sometimes people’s features combine in certain ways so that they resemble members of other races, even though they may not have any mixed ancestry. See Bjork for another example. Coburn’s Swedish roots may include ethnic Sami (aka Lapp) people. A good portion of Sami have [epicanthic folds on their eyelids](http://www.baiki.org/images/postcard_mother.jpg), though not as pronounced as those of East Asian peoples. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/18 "2011-04-21T20:18:43Z")
Actors are surprising. I was always amazed at David Carradine, who played Kwai Chang Caine on the TV show _Kung Fu_ . He also plsyed Atahualpa the Incan Emperor in Peter Shaffer’s play _The Royal Hunt of the Sun_\*, and I could see how he would’ve been perfect. But as far as I know his ancestry was completely western Even more surprising, as I’ve noted before, is Khigh Dheigh, who played a variety of roles as Chinese and Japanese charavcters, including Wo Fat on _Hawaii Five O_ and Judge Dee in the TV movie _Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders_. But he had no asian anestry at all, being British - North African . His professional name was a fanciful transliteration of his real initials – K.D. for Kenneth Dckerson. He was born in New Jersey, and I never woulda guessed that he wasn’t of Chinese ancestry. > **[Khigh Dhiegh | Actor](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0223556/)** > > Known for: The Manchurian Candidate, Seconds, Noble House > **[Khigh Dhiegh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khigh_Dhiegh)** > > Khigh Alx Dhiegh (/ˈkaɪ ˈdiː/ KY DEE or /ˈdeɪ/ DAY; born Kenneth Dickerson; August 25, 1910 – October 25, 1991) was an American television and motion picture actor of Anglo-Egyptian Sudanese ancestry, noted for portraying East Asian roles. He is perhaps best remembered for portraying villains, in particular his recurring TV guest role as Chinese agent Wo Fat on Hawaii Five-O (from the pilot in 1968, to the final episode in 1980), and brainwashing expert Dr. Yen Lo in 1962's The Manchurian C He wa... \*But he didn’t get to play him in the movie, more’s the pity. Christopher Plummer, who played Pizzaro on stage, wanted to play him in the film. He did a great job, but Plummer doesn’t look at all Incan. Or Spanish, for tht matter. Robert Shaw played Pizarro in the film. ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/19 "2011-04-21T21:02:11Z")
Warner Oland, famous for playing Charlie Chan and Fu Manchu in the 1930’s, was also Swedish. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/20 "2011-04-21T21:47:06Z")
[QUOTE= Dangermom] He doesn’t look terribly Asian to me, but he does look rather Swedish. I don’t see a reason in those photos to assume that he has hidden Asian ancestry. [/QUOTE] It’s in the shape of his eyes, especially his eyelids. They kinda sag a bit toward the edges. I have a similar look. Even though I have no Asian ancestry, my eyes look a bit like that, too, especially if I’m tired. I have been asked if I am part Asian. I certainly see it myself. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251.md?page=2)