John Steadman was born James Lanford Steadman on July 20, 1909 in Lexington, South Carolina. Steadman worked in radio for three decades as a writer, producer, and announcer prior to embarking on an acting career in the early 1970's. An extremely colorful and distinctive character actor, John was often cast in both films and TV shows alike as a crotchety old coot. Steadman died at 83 from a lung ailment on January 28, 1993 in Montrose, California.