James Read facts for kids

James Christopher Read (born July 31, 1953) is an American actor. He is famous for playing George Hazard in the North and South television miniseries. Many people also know him as Victor Bennett from the TV show Charmed.

Early Life and Education

James Read was born in Buffalo, New York. He grew up in Niskayuna, New York. He first became interested in acting while he was studying law at the University of Oregon. He graduated from there in 1976.

After college, Read moved to New York City to study acting. He performed in many plays in different cities. For three years, he was a lead actor at The Denver Center Theatre Company. Later in his life, he went back to school. In 1998, he earned a master's degree in psychology from Pepperdine University.

Acting Career

Read's big break came in 1985 with the TV miniseries North and South. A miniseries is like a very long movie split into a few episodes. He played one of the main characters, George Hazard. His co-star, the famous actor Patrick Swayze, even taught him how to ride a horse for the role. He returned to play George Hazard in the sequels in 1986 and 1994.

In 1988, he starred in the popular movie Beaches. From 2001 to 2006, he had a recurring role on the TV show Charmed. He played Victor Bennett, the father of the main characters.

Read has appeared in many other TV shows. He was a main character in the first season of Remington Steele. He also played Ken Davis in the family drama Wildfire and directed one of its episodes. Since 2014, he has played the character Clyde Weston on the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives. In 2018, he also joined the cast of another soap opera, General Hospital, as Gregory Chase.

Personal Life

Read married actress Wendy Kilbourne in 1988. They met while working on the North and South miniseries. The couple has a son named Jackson and a daughter named Sydney. The family lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Selected Roles

James Read has been in many movies and TV shows. Here are some of his most well-known roles.

Movies

• Blue Thunder (1983)
• Eight Men Out (1988)
• Beaches (1988)
• Legally Blonde (2001) - as Elle's father
• Not Another Teen Movie (2001) - as Preston's father
• Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003) - as Elle's father
• Fame (2009)

Television

• Remington Steele (1982–1983) - as Murphy Michaels
• North and South (1985, 1986, 1994) - as George Hazzard
• Columbo (1990) - as Dr. Wesley Corman
• Star Trek: Voyager (2001) - as Jaffen
• Charmed (2001–2006) - as Victor Bennett
• American Dreams (2002–2005) - as George Mason
• Wildfire (2005–2008) - as Ken Davis
• Days of Our Lives (2014–present) - as Clyde Weston
• General Hospital (2018) - as Gregory Chase

See also

In Spanish: James Read para niños