Veteran actor Clifton James, whose long career included the role of Sheriff J.W. Pepper in the James Bond movies, Live And Let Die 1973 and The Man With The Golden Gun 1974 has died, at age 96.

James was a Northwest native, who was born in Spokane, Washington. He died Saturday in Gladstone, of complications from diabetes, according to one of his daughters, Lynn James.

"He was the most outgoing person, beloved by everybody," Lynn James told the Associated Press.  "I don't think the man had an enemy. We were incredibly blessed to have had him in our lives."

Clifton grew up in the Gladstone area, as Variety reports.

After serving in World War II, where his service earned him the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts, James studied at the University of Oregon, and appeared in plays, as the Associated Press reports.

James was a gifted character actor, who worked in the New York theater, in movies and on TV

His best-known role was as the Louisiana sheriff, J.W. Pepper, a blunt-talking  character first introduced in the 1973 James Bond movie, "Live and Let Die." The character was popular, and James again played Pepper in the 1974 Bond film, "The Man With the Golden Gun."