James started his career in New York City and regional theatre before moving to Los Angeles in 2000 where he worked for over twenty years as an actor and filmmaker. In 2020 he relocated his family during Covid-19 to Melbourne, Australia to continue acting, filmmaking, and teaching actors with his company The Hollywood Actor Lab and at TAFTA The Academy of Film and Television Artists.James was born and raised in New York City and attended high school and college in New Jersey. He was captain of his high school Varsity football team, played LaCrosse and Wrestled, while learning Taekwondo in the summers. At 17, a full financial-aid scholarship took him to Rutgers University where he majored in Theater and Cinema and also became a competitive 3rd degree black belt and captain of the Taekwondo team. After graduating, his first job was as a resident actor at The George Street Playhouse. There, he met renowned Uta Hagen, who gave workshops to the actors during her last great performances of "Collected Stories". His training includes Rutgers University, The William Esper Studio, The Carter-Thor Studio, The Groundlings Improv Theater, Richard Waterhouse, Jonathan Slavin, and his favorite acting book is 'True and False' by David Mamet.His feature film 'Starting from Scratch' was acquired and distributed worldwide after a successful film festival run. He wrote, directed, edited and starred in the heartfelt romantic comedy. He produced the film with his wife Elizabeth Sandy who also stars in the film. The movie won top honors of 'Best Film' at the DisOrient Film Festival of Oregon, 'Best Comedy' at the Asians on Film Festival in Los Angeles, 'Best Ensemble Cast' and 'Best Editing' at the Independent Filmmakers Showcase of Los Angeles, and 'Honorable Mention for Best Film' at the New Jersey Film Festival. Other career awards include a Best Actor trophy from the Stay Tuned TV Awards and a Prism award for directing. James is also an avid photographer and he completed the UCLA Extension Photography Certificate Program.
