James Allen Preston was born in Washington, District of Columbia, USA on November 13, 1933. He attended public schools in the nation's capital and earned a track scholarship to a college in North Carolina. J. A. married Merilyn Alsop in 1957. His acting career accelerated to recurring TV series roles when he moved from New York to California in 1976. He is best known for roles as Allen Brooks in All's Fair, Ozzie Cleveland in Hill Street Blues, Leo Daltry in Dallas, and Richard Matthews in Santa Barbara. He played many magistrates in films, most notably Judge Julius Alexander Randolph in A Few Good Men. He lives in retirement in Los Angeles, California, USA.