James Edwards (actor)

James Johnson Edwards (March 6, 1918 – January 4, 1970) was an American actor in films and television. His most famous role was as Private Peter Moss in the 1949 film Home of the Brave, in which he portrayed a Black soldier experiencing racial prejudice while serving in the South Pacific during World War II. A native of Muncie, Indiana, Edwards was the eldest of six boys and two girls born to devout Baptist parents. Hoping to emulate his hero, heavyweight champion Joe Louis, Edwards began boxing at age 11, turning pro seven years later. However, in what would prove a relatively brief career, a particularly decisive and bloody defeat prompted his horrified mother to demand Edwards' immediate retirement from the ring, and a renewed focus on his formal education. After graduating high school, Edwards attended Indiana University before transferring to Knoxville College in Tennessee, where he majored in psychology, graduating in 1938. During World War II, he was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army. During that period, he was badly injured in an automobile accident, resulting in severe facial damage requiring extensive reconstructive surgery, especially to his mouth. During his recovery, it was recommended that Edwards attend public speaking courses at nearby Northwestern University. This he did, eventually earning his master's degree in drama.