Joseph Cotten (May 15, 1905 - February 6, 1994) was an American actor, noted for his key roles in such classics as Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, The Third Man, and Shadow of a Doubt. He made his cinematic debut in Citizen Kane, at the invitation of his longtime friend, Orson Welles.

He was born in Petersburg, Virginia and died in Palm Springs, California from complications of throat cancer at the age of 88.