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James Morrison - Acting is about being human!
James Morrison | Working Actor
James Morrison, filmmaker, playwright, poet, actor, singer/songwriter and yoga teacher, was born in Utah and is a product of Alaska. He began his acting career as a clown and wire walker for the Carson and Barnes Wild Animal Circus and served his theatrical apprenticeship with the Alaska Repertory Theatre. Since then, he has appeared at some of America's foremost theatres including the McCarter Theatre, the La Jolla Playhouse, the Mark Taper Forum, LA TheatreWorks and The Old Globe with such renowned directors as Robert Egan, Emily Mann, Des McAnuff, Jack O'Brien, Charles Nelson Reilly, Jose Quintero, Martin Jarvis, and Harry Mastrogeorge, his acting teacher since 1982.
He is the recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Performance and three Drama-Logue Awards. In 1985 he appeared in the London premiere of Emily Mann's Still Life at the West End's Donmar Warehouse and the Riverside Studios after a stint in The Edinburgh Festival at the Traverse Theatre where the production received a Fringe First Award.
His radio credits include L.A.TheatreWorks productions of Pressure - as General Eisenhower, The Rainmaker as Starbuck with the cast of the Broadway revival, Ruby McCollum in which he stars as William Bradford Huie, Judgement at Nuremberg - starring as Chief Justice Dan Haywood, the U.S. tour of In the Heat of the Night and Julius Caesar.
Morrison's short film, Parking, which he wrote and directed, was produced by his wife, Riad Galayini. Parking screened at twenty film festivals world wide including New York's New Directors/New Films presented by Lincoln Center at the Museum of Modern Art, Slamdance (audience choice award for best short), Austin's South By Southwest Festival, the Central Florida Film Festival (third place narrative film award), the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, the Montreal World Festival, The Festival of U.S. Shorts in Brisbane, Australia, Ireland's Cork International Film Festival, and the Northampton Film Festival where it received the Best Short of the Festival Award. Parking also ran on Sundance Channel for 18 months.
With Ms. Galayini, he co-wrote and co-produced her directorial debut, Nude Descending, which received The George Melies Award at the 1998 Taos Talking Picture Festival and has screened at the Nashville Independent Festival and Short Cuts in Paris. In 2000, Nude Descending was selected for special recognition by the Hitchcock International Director's Series presented by the American Cinematheque.
Their latest film, the documentary, Showing Up, is a feature-length conversation about the actor's audition.
Most recently, James developed and performed his one-man play, Leave Your Fears Here at the Ojai Playwrights Conference. Morrison's plays have also been produced and/or developed at the Sundance Institute, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Playwrights' Center of Minneapolis, L.A. TheatreWorks, The MET Theatre, Two Parts Theatre Company, The Classical Theatre Lab, City Theatre in Miami, The Road Theatre, The Mojo Ensemble, The Wooden O, The Philadelphia Fringe Festival and the Salt Lake Acting Company where he has directed several plays including those by Sam Shepard, John Robinson, Larry Shue and Beth Henley.
As a singer/songwriter his albums, Son to the Boy and I Broke Free are available on iTunes CD Baby, Amazon and all digital outlets.
James was a Lecture Fellow at Bournemouth University School of Media in England and received his certification to teach Hatha Yoga from Ganga White and Tracey Rich at the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara where he sits on the Board of Trustees. He taught regular classes at the YogaWorks Center for Yoga in Los Angeles for 10 years.
James and Riad live North of Los Angeles and their son, Seamus, who is attending UCSB.
quote-leftDon’t let anyone tell you that what we do as actors is only about "acting." It’s not. It’s about being a human being, first, foremost, and always. Acting, on the set, in the rehearsal room, audition room, or the stage, is only what we do as human beings and our ability to bring that to bear.
As actors it’s only about the work, of course, but as human beings it’s about how we conduct ourselves and how we interact with, collaborate with, and treat other human beings. If we treat others with respect, we will be treated with respect. If we’re not, it’s because someone else needs to learn this. At our best we are no more than workers among workers. No one worker is any more deserving than another or deserves more respect than another.
So we need to know the craft and rules that apply to our work as actors? Absolutely. Be a student and practice. But success or failure lies solely on how we treat others in the workplace and basic rules of conduct, including punctuality. The adage, “know your words and hit your marks” only covers a small part of our responsibilities in the workplace.
When I was first starting out, I was told, “Leave your problems at the door.” That hasn’t changed and never will. This advice is not an acting lesson, it’s not even as simple as “put the story first,” or “access your humanity,” which to anyone who knows up from down are the first and second rules of acting, it is more basic than that. We are human beings first; compassionate, considerate, and mindful – especially in the work – but always in the workplace.
Representation
Talent Agencies
Talent Agent Artists & Representatives | Talent Agent Voice Arlene Thornton & Associates |
Management
Mitch Clem Management
7080 Hollywood Blvd, Ste. 1100
Hollywood, CA 90028, USA
Phone +1 310 947 1067
Cell +1 310-947-1067
Email mitch@mitchclem.management
Business/Personal Websites
2020-2021 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)
Jim Rollins
2019 The Twilight Zone (TV Series)
Bob Jeff
2004-2017 NCIS (TV Series)
U.S. Senator John Phillips / Assistant Director Roper
2017 Major Crimes (TV Series)
Marvin Garret
2017 The Orville (TV Series)
Kemka
2017 Twin Peaks (TV Series)
Warden Dwight Murphy
2016 Castle (TV Series)
Deputy Commissioner Malone
2015 Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV Series)
Dan Yaeger
2014 Those Who Kill (TV Series)
Frank Bisgaard
2012-2014 Blue (TV Series)
Olsen
2012 Revenge (TV Series)
Gordon Murphy
2012 The Exes (TV Series)
Jonathan Hubner / Mr. Hubner
2011 Charlie's Angels (TV Series)
Jon Cartwright
2009-2011 Hawthorne (TV Series)
John Morrissey
2011 Suits (TV Series)
Jerome Jensen
2010 Law & Order: LA (TV Series)
Gray Campbell
2010 The Mentalist (TV Series)
Warner Vander Hoek
2009-2010 Private Practice (TV Series)
William White
2010 The Deep End (TV Series)
Jonathan Mather
2009 Eli Stone (TV Series)
Dan Buckley
2005-2009 24 (TV Series)
Bill Buchanan
2007 Numb3rs (TV Series)
Cmdr. Chris Frederickson
2005 Point Pleasant (TV Series)
Kingston Nickson
2004 Cold Case (TV Series)
Carson Finch
2003 CSI: Miami (TV Series)
Charles Jeunet
2003 10-8: Officers on Duty (TV Series)
Mark Lowry
2003 The West Wing (TV Series)
Colonel Jessie Weiskopf
2002 JAG (TV Series)
Major General Lucas West
2002 Six Feet Under (TV Series)
Swinger Husband
2002 The Division (TV Series)
Robert
2000-2001 Freedom (TV Series)
Colonel Tim Devon / Colonel Devon
2000 The Others (TV Series)
Simeon Nye / Troy Manheim
2000 The X-Files (TV Series)
Dr. Robert Wieder
1999 Nash Bridges (TV Series)
Pete Callen
1998 Seven Days (TV Series)
Agent Carter
1998 Profiler (TV Series)
Will Cook
1998 Diagnosis Murder (TV Series)
Lloyd Nichols
1998 Prey (TV Series)
Lewis
1998 Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (TV Series)
William Corzine (segment: The Portrait) / William Corzine
1997 Brooklyn South (TV Series)
Paul Ingelmann
1996 Millennium (TV Series)
Jim Horn
1995-1996 Space: Above and Beyond (TV Series)
Lt. Col. Tyrus Cassius 'T.C.' McQueen / Col. Tyrus Cassius 'T.C.' McQueen
1995 The Marshal (TV Series)
A.D.A. Chet Fields
1994 Frasier (TV Series)
Brian
1994 Walker, Texas Ranger (TV Series)
Ned Travis
1993 Bob (TV Series)
Priest
1992 L.A. Law (TV Series)
Walter Phelps
1991 Doogie Howser, M.D. (TV Series)
Mr. Stevens, father of Will
1991 Quantum Leap (TV Series)
Joe Deever
1990 Capital News (TV Series)
1989 Jesse Hawkes (TV Series)
1989 Monsters (TV Series)
Steven Rose, Ph.D.
1988 Houston Knights (TV Series)
Steven Kayden
1987 Werewolf (TV Series)
Deputy Engels
1987 Once a Hero (TV Series)
Lt Colonel William Travis
1986 North & South: Book 2, Love & War (TV Mini Series)
Bradley
1984 Fatal Vision (TV Mini Series)
Green Beret
* @2014 FOX TV
** Photo by Geoffrey Donne
*** Photo by David Zaugh
Comments
Yet another wonderful Working Actor Profile!
We have enjoyed this prolific actor's work for many years.
So glad you have added him to this wonderful list :)
James Morrison
We have been enjoying Mr. Morrison's career path for a long time. He is truly a prolific Working Actor. Really glad to his name among all of the others here!
