Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a South African–British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. Noted for his distinctive laugh, he was best known for numerous roles in the Carry On film series.

Born to a middle-class Jewish family in South Africa, James started his career in his native country before finding his greatest success in the UK. Beginning his screen career playing bit parts in films from 1947, he was cast in numerous small and supporting roles into the 1950s. He appeared in the film The Lavender Hill Mob in 1951, starring Alec Guinness.

His profile was raised as Tony Hancock's co-star in Hancock's Half Hour, firstly in the radio series and later when it was adapted for television and ran from 1954 to 1960. After this he became known as a regular performer in the Carry On films, appearing in 19 films of the series, top-billed in all but two.

His leading roles in television sitcoms continued. He starred in the 1970s sitcom Bless This House until his death in 1976.

James, born Solomon Joel Cohen on 8 May 1913 in South Africa, was the second son of London-born Jewish vaudeville performers Reina (née Solomon; 1892–1965) and Lazarus Joel "Laurie" Cohen (1884–1948). His elder brother, Maurice, was born in 1911. Known affectionately as "Sollie" in childhood, he later changed his name to Sidney James following confusion with a similarly-named cousin at his school, taking his new surname from his parents' stage names.

The family lived at the home of his maternal grandmother, Flora Solomon, on Hancock Street in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. In 1919, the Cohens left their sons in the care of Laurie's brother and sister-in-law, Abraham and Esther Cohen, in Newcastle, Natal after being offered a tour of Australia with their vaudeville act. By the time the tour ended in 1921 they were beginning divorce proceedings. Laurie remained in Australia with relatives, while Reina moved to her mother's new home in Joubert Park with their sons.

James claimed various previous occupations, including diamond cutter, dance tutor and boxer, but his main employment had been as a hairdresser at the salon owned by his mother and her siblings, where he had trained. It was at a hairdressing salon in Kroonstad, Orange Free State, that he met his first wife. His father-in-law, Johannesburg businessman Joseph Delmont, bought James a hairdressing salon in the basement of the prestigious Carlton Hotel, but within a year James announced that he wanted to become an actor and joined the Johannesburg Repertory Players. Through this group he gained work with the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

During World War II he served as a lieutenant in the Union Defence Force Entertainment Unit in South Africa's army, and subsequently took up acting as a career. He moved to the United Kingdom in December 1946, financed by his service gratuity. Initially he worked in repertory, before being spotted for the nascent British post-war film industry.