{{Short description|American radio presenter and producer (1928–2017)}} {{Other people|James French}} {{Infobox person | name = Jim French | image = Jim French 1959.jpg | caption = French in 1959 | birth_date = {{birth date|1928|9|23}} | birth_place = [[Pasadena, California]] | death_date = {{death date and age|2017|12|20|1928|9|28}} | occupation = Radio personality, voice actor | education = [[Pasadena City College]] | years_active = 1944–2017 | death_place = [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]] | spouse = {{marriage|Patricia Anne Soule|1950|2017|end=died}} | children = 2 }}
'''James Rowley French''' (September 23, 1928 – December 20, 2017)<ref name=legacy/><ref name="PSN">{{cite news |title=Birth Notices |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pasadena-star-news-birth-notices/177946180/ |page=2 |access-date=1 August 2025 |work=[[Pasadena Star-News]] |date=September 26, 1928 |quote=FRENCH–To Mr. and Mrs. James Forrest French, 608 Adelyn drive, San Gabriel, on September 23, 1928, at the Pasadena Hospital, a son, James Rowley French.}}</ref> was an American [[radio host]], voice actor, writer and producer. French founded [[Imagination Theatre]] in 1996 and served as its producer until 2017. He was the morning DJ on the Seattle radio station [[KIRO (AM)|KIRO]] from 1959 to 1971, and again from 1980 to 1994.<ref name="TST-1">{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Chuck |title=Jim French To Sign Off As Kiro-Am Radio Host |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19940601/1913454/jim-french-to-sign-off-as-kiro-am-radio-host |access-date=10 July 2025 |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |date=June 1, 1994}}</ref><ref name="douglas1997">Mclennan, Douglas (October 6, 1997) 'Retired' KIRO host French to tape 100th radio drama. ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]''; accessed June 21, 2017.</ref><ref name=SAG>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sagaftra.org/tribute-jim-french|last=Albert|first=Larry|title=In Tribute to Jim French|website=Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists|publisher=SAG-AFTRA|date=February 5, 2018|access-date=April 7, 2020}}</ref>
As a voice actor, French was known for his work in video games by [[Valve Corporation|Valve]], including ''[[Half-Life 2]]'' (2004), ''[[Left 4 Dead (franchise)|Left 4 Dead]]'' (2008), and ''[[Dota 2]]'' (2013).<ref name="Polygon">{{cite web |last1=Good |first1=Owen S. |title=Jim French, Left 4 Dead’s Bill, dies at 89 |url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/12/30/16832916/left-4-dead-bill-jim-french-obituary |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |access-date=10 July 2025 |date=December 30, 2017}}</ref>
==Early life== James Rowley French was born on September 23, 1928, in [[Pasadena, California]], to Mabelle ({{nee|Rowley}}) and James Forrest French.<ref name="PSN"></ref> French got his first job in radio as a teenager, on the Pasadena [[AM Radio|AM]] station KXLA.<ref name=SAG></ref> French enlisted in the [[U.S. Army]] in 1945 and was stationed in [[Occupation of Japan|allied-occupied Japan]], where he worked for the [[Armed Forces Radio]].<ref name=legacy/><ref name=SAG></ref> He attended the [[Pasadena City College]] following his discharge.<ref name=legacy/><ref name=SAG></ref>
==Career== ===Radio=== Following stints working in radio in [[Southern California]] and [[Honolulu]],<ref name=SAG></ref> French became morning DJ on the Seattle radio station [[KIRO (AM)|KIRO]] in 1959.<ref name="bundy1959">Bundy, June (January 19, 1959). Vox Jox. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''</ref> He left KIRO in 1971 and moved to [[KVI]], where he produced and wrote [[radio drama]]s.<ref name="TST-1"></ref> French was dismissed from his position at KVI in 1978, and he returned to KIRO in as a host 1980.<ref name="TST-1"></ref><ref name=SAG></ref> He stepped down from his position as a host in 1994.
In 1996, French began production of the radio drama program ''[[Imagination Theatre]]'', which in 2003 moved to [[KIXI]].<ref name="virgin">Virgin, Bill (January 9, 2003). 'Imagination Theatre' goes to new home at KIXI. ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]''</ref> His syndicated programs are now broadcast on over 120 stations in the U.S. and Canada and are also broadcast via [[XM Satellite Radio]] throughout North America.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://jimfrenchproductions.com//index.php?main_page=about_us|title=About Us : Imagination Theater, Jim French Productions, Radio Mysteries, Radio Dramas|last=others|first=The Zen Cart™ Team and|website=Imagination Theater Mystery Radio Audio Drama|language=en|access-date=2017-12-29|archive-date=2017-09-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904075916/http://jimfrenchproductions.com/index.php?main_page=about_us|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In January 2017, it was announced that, due to age and health issues, French and his family would be closing down their production company, Jim French Productions, and discontinuing all broadcasts of ''Imagination Theatre'' at the end of March 2017.<ref name=lowrie>{{cite web |url=https://harrynile.com/the-rebirth-of-imagination-theater/ |website=Imagination Theatre |title=The Rebirth of Imagination Theater |last=Lowrie |first=John |date=December 17, 2019 |access-date= April 7, 2020}}</ref> ''Imagination Theatre'' was relaunched in 2019, following a successful crowdfunding campaign headed by actors and producers [[John Patrick Lowrie]] and Larry Albert, and is now produced by Aural Vision, LLC.<ref>{{citation |url=https://kixi.com/you-can-help-keep-the-magic-of-radio-theatre-alive/ |title=You Can Help Keep the Magic of Radio Theatre Alive |first1=Larry |last1=Albert |publisher=KIXI |access-date=2019-10-05 |archive-date=2019-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191005193335/https://kixi.com/you-can-help-keep-the-magic-of-radio-theatre-alive/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=lowrie></ref>
===Voice acting=== As an actor, French appeared on the 1996 NBC miniseries ''[[Pandora's Clock]]'' as a [[non-commissioned officer]]. He was best known for voice acting work in video games by [[Valve Corporation]], most notably [[Father Grigori]] in ''[[Half-Life 2]]'', Bill in ''[[Left 4 Dead]] and [[Left 4 Dead 2]]'' and the Elder Titan in ''[[Dota 2]]''.<ref name="Polygon"></ref> He additionally voiced the Scientist in ''[[Gunman Chronicles]]'' and the Fisherman in the [[tech demo]] ''[[Half-Life 2: Lost Coast]]''.<ref name="PCGN">{{cite web |last1=Bailey |first1=Dustin |title=Jim French, actor behind Father Grigori and Left 4 Dead's Bill, has passed away |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/left-4-dead/jim-french |website=[[PCGamesN]] |access-date=1 August 2025 |date=December 29, 2017}}</ref>
==Personal life and death== French met Patricia Anne "Pat" Soule while attending Pasadena City College, and the two married in June 1950.<ref name=SAG></ref> They were married for 66 years, until her death in February 2017, and had two children.<ref name="legacy2">{{cite web |title=Patricia French Obituary |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/seattletimes/name/patricia-french-obituary?id=20344090 |website=Legacy: Seattle Times |access-date=2 August 2025 |date=February 17, 2017}}</ref> Pat worked as an acting teacher at [[Bellevue College]] and later worked with her husband on ''Imagination Theatre.''<ref name="TST-2">{{cite news |last1=Grindeland |first1=Sherry |title=A Marriage Made In Mystery -- For Jim And Pat French, Radio Dramas - Like Life - Are Better As A Duet |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19980108/2727628/a-marriage-made-in-mystery----for-jim-and-pat-french-radio-dramas---like-life---are-better-as-a-duet |access-date=2 August 2025 |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |date=January 8, 1998}}</ref>
French died in Seattle on December 20, 2017, at age 89.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://kixi.com/remembering-jim-french/ |title=Remembering Jim French – AM 880 KIXI |access-date=2017-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222114105/http://kixi.com/remembering-jim-french/ |archive-date=2017-12-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://comicbook.com/gaming/2017/12/27/voice-actor-left-4-dead-2-jim-french-passes-away/|title=Voice Actor Behind Left 4 Dead's Bill Character Has Passed Away|work=WWG|access-date=2017-12-29|language=en}}</ref><ref name=legacy>{{Cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seattletimes/obituary.aspx?pid=187703595|title=Jim French Obituary|website=Legacy: Seattle Times|date=January 2, 2018|access-date=April 7, 2020}}</ref>
==Filmography== ===Video games=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2000 | ''[[Gunman Chronicles]]'' | The Scientist | |- | 2004 | ''[[Half-Life 2]]'' | Father Grigori || <ref name="btva">{{cite web|url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Jim-French/|title=Behind The Voice Actors - Jim French|last=|first=|date=|website=Behind The Voice Actors|access-date=April 20, 2020}}</ref> |- | 2005 | ''[[Half-Life 2: Lost Coast]]'' | The Fisherman | |- | 2008 | ''[[Left 4 Dead]]'' | rowspan=3 | William "Bill" Overbeck || <ref name="btva"/> |- | 2009 | ''[[Left 4 Dead 2]]'' | |- | 2011 | ''[[Payday: The Heist]]'' | |- | 2013 | ''[[Dota 2]]'' | Elder Titan | |}
==See also== * ''[[Imagination Theatre]]''
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://harrynile.com/ Jim French Productions] *{{IMDb name|id=1623542|name=Jim French}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:French, Jim (radio)}} [[Category:1928 births]] [[Category:2017 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century American male actors]] [[Category:21st-century American male actors]] [[Category:20th-century American male writers]] [[Category:21st-century American male writers]] [[Category:American dramatists and playwrights]] [[Category:American male dramatists and playwrights]] [[Category:American male radio actors]] [[Category:American male video game actors]] [[Category:American male voice actors]] [[Category:Mass media people from Pasadena, California]] [[Category:Writers of Sherlock Holmes pastiches]]