ORLANDO, Fla. — James Gammon, a graduate of Orlando’s Boone High School who became one of the top character actors in movies, television and theater, died Friday in Costa Mesa, Calif. He was 70, and also had a home in Ocala.

“He had cancer 2½ years ago,” his wife, Nancy, said Saturday. “It came back aggressively about a month ago in his adrenal glands and liver, and he was very weak. They couldn’t do surgery or chemotherapy. He decided he wanted to come home, and we did hospice.”

Gammon started his career by working at Channel 6 (then with the call letters WDBO) and acting in local theater. He moved on to California, acted in TV series and made his film debut in “Cool Hand Luke,” the 1967 classic starring Paul Newman.

Gammon logged more than 135 television and screen credits, from “The Wild Wild West” and “Gunsmoke” to “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Monk.”