McCullough was born in Mansfield, Louisiana, and raised in Lebanon, Missouri.
[1] He formed Jim McCullough Productions after graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles.
[1] While a student, he appeared in CBS's live-action Playhouse 90 Theater.
[1] Prior to establishing his film company, McCullough had two minor acting credits in Teenage Monster (1958) and The Love Bug (1971).
[3] His last directorial credit was 1994's The St. Tammany Miracle, which he co-directed with Joy N. Houck Jr. McCullough had two children: James Jr., and Cathy, with his wife Lel.