William Scott "Jack" Elam was an American film and television actor best known for his numerous roles as villains in Western films, and later in his career, comedies. His most distinguishing physical quality was his misaligned eye.

Did Jack Elam have a glass eye?

He grew up picking cotton. Elam lost the sight in his left eye when he was stabbed with a pencil during a boyhood altercation with a fellow Boy Scout.

Where was Jack Elam from?

Elam was born on Nov. 13, 1916, in Miami, Ariz., a tiny mining community 100 miles from Phoenix. His mother died shortly after he was born, and he was taken in by various families who made him earn at least part of his keep.