Jim Beaver was supposed to be born in Texas, where his family is from, but was born in Wyoming by accident instead. His father was busy with graduate work at the University of Wyoming, and had taken his pregnant mother along with him. Beaver arrived a little earlier than expected, and so he came into the world in Laramie! They stayed there until his dad's job came to an end, and headed back to Texas. That doesn't stop Jim Beaver being Wyoming's biggest native star.
Beaver's slightly grizzled appearance has made him the perfect choice to play 'tough guy' roles on screen. He's recognized all over the world as Bobby from 'Supernatural,' but may have been happier as Whitney Ellsworth in 'Deadwood.' If Western movies were being made as frequently now as they were fifty years ago, you suspect that Beaver would be this generation's John Wayne. As well as being an actor, Beaver is a student of the game; he's a film historian, having written several books and magazine pieces about the history of great actors and their work.