James Francis Cagney was born on July 17, 1899, in New York City, New York. Cagney grew up in New York City’s rough Lower East Side. He held a variety of different jobs in his youth to help the family pay bills, but he also found time for extra-curricular outlets. He learned to tap dance and box. Cagney once considered a professional boxing career, but his father had been an amateur fighter and his mother wouldn’t allow it. Cagney first got into acting while working as a scenery assistant for a local theatre where his brother acted. Once, when his brother was too ill to go on stage, James stood in for him and delivered a perfect performance. After that, he started auditioning for plays and enjoyed the experience.