With thanks to @sherisaid.bsky.social James graduated The Birmingham Theatre School in 2009, and began his career on the theatre stage. His stage credits include a nuanced lead performance as Ray in David Harrower's critically acclaimed psychological drama Blackbird. Over the last decade, James has been featured in dozens of movies and TV shows, including the popular Netflix series Shadow and Bone, Carole Morley's Typist Artist Pirate King, and he was cast as the lead character in the 2024 feature film Ballistic. James was honored by the Midlands Movie Awards in 2020 for his portrayal of Agon in Shame my Name and won Best Supporting Cctor in 2024 for his role as Pat Gunther in Dig Me No Grave.