According to a report in the Sunday Mercury, the Northern Irish pin-up first worked in the bingo industry.
As a youngster, he performed the role of bingo caller at Barry’s Amusements in Portrush.
So fans of the game who lived in the area around 1980 may remember him as a fresh-faced lad with a microphone in his hand.
It seemed being the centre of attention worked for James, as he went on to a career in plays and musicals before eventually getting his big break in the drama Cold Feet.
Commenting on the effect this had on his self-image, he said: "I became a bit of an egomaniac. I thought I was God’s gift to mankind and the greatest Irishman since George Best."
As well as TV, he has worked in a number of films, including the hard-hitting Bloody Sunday.
Have you ever thought of calling bingo?
Keep playing, bingo fans.
Barry Dazzle
