The Virginian Actor is James Drury, who starred in the long-running western television series The Virginian. His character's name was 'The Virginian' and he was played by James McClure, whose last name is a 7-letter word. McClure was an American actor best known for his role in The Virginian, which ran from 1962 to 1971. He also appeared in several other films and television shows throughout his career.