Maurice William Elias, better known as James Stacy, was born to a Lebanese immigrant father and an American-born mother of Irish-Scottish descent in Los Angeles. As a teenager, Stacy initially aimed to pursue a career in professional football, but his friend encouraged him to take acting classes, ultimately leading him to abandon his football aspirations and focus on the movies.
Stacy adopted the screen name James Stacy, inspired by his cousin and his idol, James Dean, and made his film debut in an uncredited role as a reporter in the 1957 movie Sayonara, starring Marlon Brando. Despite garnering little recognition or work in the film industry, Stacy transitioned to television and landed notable appearances on The Donna Reed Show in 1958 and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet in 1952.
However, it wasn't until 1968 that Stacy landed his first major break, playing a young gunfighter on the TV series Lancer. Although the show was canceled in 1970, Stacy continued to secure smaller roles on television. Two years later, he suffered a devastating motorcycle accident that resulted in the loss of his left arm and left leg, as well as the life of his girlfriend. The subsequent medical bills wiped out his savings, but his ex-wives and Hollywood friends rallied around him, organizing a benefit to help him cope with the financial burden.
Stacy made a professional comeback in 1975, starring as a newspaper editor in the Western film Posse, a role specifically created for him by the film's director, Kirk Douglas. He was nominated for two Emmy Awards, once for Just a Little Inconvenience in 1977 and again for Cagney & Lacey in 1986. Stacy eventually retired from acting in 1991.
Throughout his personal life, Stacy experienced turmoil, being married twice and having a daughter, Heather Elias, with his second wife, Kim Darby.
