Actor. He was best known for playing the character roles of professors, butlers, judges, policemen, priests, uncles, fathers, and grandfathers. He will be best remembered for his role as 'Old Bill' in the film drama, "The Signal Tower" (1924). The film which was directed by Clarence Brown, and which also starred Virginia Valli, Rockcliffe Fellowes, and Frankie Darro, tells the story of a railroad worker who accepts a colleague's offer to stay in his home, but when his friend is called out one night to stop a runaway train, he makes a play for the man's wife. He was born one of two children as James Otis Barrows in Copperopolis, California, to Daniel Foye Barrows and his wife Elizabeth Bean Barrows on March 29, 1855. He was educated locally and lived most of his life in the San Francisco, California, area, before he moved to Los Angeles, California, area, to pursue an acting career. He appeared first on the stage with stock companies in the Victorian, Edwardian, and Georgian, eras making his debut at the California Theatre in San Francisco, California. He also appeared on stage at the Baldwin Theatre in San Francisco, California, the Grande Opera House in San Francisco, California, and the Castle Square Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. He was also in the stage productions of the Broadway plays, "Shenandoah" (1889-1890), and "Hamilton" (1917). He also partnered with John Lancaster and spent half a dozen years in vaudeville before turning to films in 1919. He made his actual film debut playing the role of 'Professor Renaud' in the film drama, "Brothers Divided" (1919), which also starred Ruth Langdon, Wallace MacDonald, and Frank Keenan. Besides, "Brothers Divided" (1919), and "The Signal Tower" (1924), his many other film credits include, "The Lord Loves The Irish" (1919), "The White Dove" (1920), "The Inferior Sex" (1920), "When Dawn Came" (1920), "Dangerous To Men" (1920), "The Untamed" (1920),"Down Home" (1920), "Unseen Forces" (1920), "Silent Years" (1921), "The Call Of Home" (1922), "Hurricane's Gal" (1922), "Pawned" (1922), "The Pride Of Palomar" (1922), "When Love Comes" (1922), "Shadows Of The North" (1923), "Cause For Divorce" (1923), "Stephen Steps Out" (1923), "The Old Fool" (1923), "Fight And Win" (1924), "Young Ideas" (1924), "The Gaiety Girl" (1924), "The Title Holder" (1924), "Her Night Of Romance" (1924), "The Tomboy" (1924), "Daddy's Gone A-Hunting" (1925), "The Price Of Pleasure" "The Goose-Woman" (1925), and his last role as 'Reverend Harper' in the action adventure fantasy film, "The Sea Beast" (1926), which also starred John Barrymore was completed just before his death. He never married nor had any children.