Photographs by William Taufic.
Thirty-seven years ago, James Naughton was performing in Stamford, when he went to visit a friend in Weston. Naughton, who grew up in West Hartford, was instantly taken by the bucolic town. “I flew back to L.A., and I said, ‘Pam, I found out where we’re going to move.’” A year later the couple settled in Weston.
Weston is a good place for a star to hide in the woods. However, anyone who needs an MC for a charity gala or wants a big name to headline at a senior center fundraiser knows you don’t have to look under a rock for Naughton. He’s always eager to put himself out there and help.
Not a fluffy Hollywood type, Naughton played soccer and baseball at Brown, where he began as pre-med and graduated with an English degree. He then attended Yale Drama School and started working two weeks after graduation. His first big break came within a year, when he landed a part in Long Day’s Journey into Night in New York. It’s been a long, epic journey since then, and Naughton continues to work. He’s been shooting a new TV series, Hostages, sometimes arriving home at midnight. He spends quality time with his kids and grandkids. No matter. There is still time for much more.
Naughton has been involved in the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp since visiting the construction site with Paul Newman twenty-five years ago. He’s a member of the Westport Country Playhouse Artists Circle. He has performed for Stand for the Troops, to benefit soldiers with PTSD, and hosted the Maritime Aquarium’s Red Apple Awards dinner many times. Wildlife in Crisis, Naughton says, “is near and dear to my heart. If I can help shine a light on their extraordinary work, help them raise funds—why not?” He has helped them release “all sorts of raptors,” an owl, fox kits, and five bluebirds in his backyard (Wildlife in Crisis gave him a birdhouse dedicated to Pam Naughton, who passed away last year).
Anyone on the event circuit knows Naughton MCs pretty much everything, but he downplays his role. “I’m amazed by what people do,” says Naughton. “They don’t just show up at a gala; they are there all the time. Through my experience at Hole in the Wall, I realized when you give a little bit of your time, you wind up getting back a lot more than you give. We’re all trying to have a meaningful life. Giving adds meaning to life.”