James first appeared professionally on the stage in New York City when he was in his early 20s, but being forever linked to a life that relied on working in the restaurant industry wasn’t appealing, so in a total change of pace, James returned home to Chicago and spent the next decade as an independent floor trader on the Chicago Board Options Exchange. 

Ten years went by in a flash and life was good, but on a trip to New York, James reconnected with some old acting friends and realized that something was missing from his life… The joy of storytelling! And now James had stories to tell.

To begin again in New York City wasn’t going to be easy, but James was determined to shake off the rust. Working with some of the industry’s top acting and writing teachers, while going back to school to study another one of his passions; fitness, health and wellness.

What began as a “survival job”, turned into a very successful physiotherapy practice, while the ebb and flow of life provided even more stories to tell. But the dream never faded.

When James wasn't helping someone rehab, he was writing plays and screenplays, producing his plays or investing in Broadway shows… But the acting bug never let him and now, he has finally carved out a path to fulfill that dream.