John McLiam graduated with a Master's Degree from St. Mary's College, Berkeley, California.
He served as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy during World War II, being awarded a Bronze Star Medal.
He was briefly employed as a reporter on the West Coast, then made his Broadway debut in 1951 in
Maxwell Anderson's play "Barefoot in Athens".
He changed his original name, John Williams, to John McLiam because there were already several actors by that name active in America.
