I grew up in San Diego to second generation Filipino parents. These are the people that I represent. Not just Filipinos, but all immigrants. Not just immigrants, but the working class. That's me. The Average Joe.

But I am not just limited to playing one type of character. I pride myself in calling myself a character actor and in having a lot of range. I love to disappear into a character that is far from who I am in real life. That's the fun of acting. There's no greater compliment than when I have "fooled" the audience into believing that I am a character when in reality I'm as far from the character as you can get.

To me, there's no point in acting unless you do it with total commitment and a willingness to "go there". I can be quite intense about that. It isn't a Method thing. I'm not trying to live as the character 24/7 (which I'm not even sure is truly a Method thing). I'm just being in service to the project, to my collaborators and to the audience. No half assing. That is why I trained for years in Meisner and Chekhov and why I'm currently training in Stella Adler.

Actor

"James is the real deal. He is prickly and raw, funny and heartbreaking. I have loved watching his evolution"

-- Lisa Berger, MCIT Acting Studio, Freelance Director, Professor of Theater