Coburn was born in Macon, Georgia,[2] the son of Scots-Irish Americans Emma Louise Sprigman (May 11, 1838, Springfield, Ohio – November 12, 1896, Savannah, Georgia) and Moses Douville Coburn (April 27, 1834, Savannah – December 27, 1902, Savannah).
Growing up in Savannah, he started out at age 14 doing odd jobs at the local Savannah Theater, handing out programs, ushering, or being the doorman. By age 17 or 18, he was the theater manager.[2][3] He later became an actor, making his debut on Broadway in 1901. Coburn formed an acting company with actress Ivah Wills in 1905.[2][3] They married in 1906. In addition to managing the company, the couple performed frequently on Broadway.
Coburn married Ivah Wills on January 29, 1906, in Atlanta, Georgia. They had six children.[8] Coburn married Winifred Natzka on June 30, 1959, in Los Angeles. She was the widow of the New Zealand bass opera singer Oscar Natzka. They had one child,[8] a daughter.
In the 1940s, Coburn made his home at the National Arts Club in New York City. His late wife's mother lived there with him.[9]
Coburn died of a heart attack on August 30, 1961, at age 84 in New York City. He was interred at Bonaventure Cemetery.[10]
^ ab"Charles Coburn Collection". University of Georgia Libraries – Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2006.
^Doyle Greene, The American Worker on Film: A Critical History, 1909-1999 (Jefferson NC: MacFarland, 2010), 80-82. ISBN9780786457762
^Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Alistair, Rupert (2018). "Charles Coburn". The Name Below the Title : 65 Classic Movie Character Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age (softcover) (First ed.). Great Britain: Independently published. pp. 68–71. ISBN978-1-7200-3837-5.