James "Jim" Houghton (born November 7, 1948) is an American actor and writer. He is best known for role as Kenny Ward in the first four seasons of CBS prime time soap opera Knots Landing (1979-1983).

Houghton was born in Los Angeles, California. Heis the son of producer Buck Houghton. He began acting appearing in episodes of Man with a Camera, The Twilight Zone, and McKeever & the Colonel. He was an original castmember of the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless, in which he played Greg Foster from 1973 to 1976. After leaving daytime, Houghton was cast as lead in the short-lived CBS action series Code R in 1977.

His most prominent role is that of Kenny Ward, Kim Lankford's character's husband, on the long-running CBS prime time soap opera Knots Landing, which he played from 1979-83. During 1980s, he also guest-starred on Fantasy Island, Hotel, The Love Boat, and Remington Steele. In 1986, he had role in the ABC miniseries North and South, Book II, and went to play Cash Cassidy on the ABC prime time soap opera The Colbys (1986-87).

Houghton has appeared in number of films, include Sweet Sugar (1972), One on One (1977), I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), More American Graffiti (1979), Superstition (1982) and Purple People Eater (1988).

In 1990s, Houghton has become a soap opera scriptwriter, working on The Young and the Restless and also The Bold and the Beautiful.