Oliver James (actor)

Oliver James
Born Oliver James Hudson
1 June 1980
Ottershaw, Surrey, England, UK
Occupation Actor, musician
Years active 2002–present

Oliver James (born Oliver James Hudson;[1] 1 June 1980) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor.

Acting career

James made his acting debut in the made-for-television short film School's Out as Dean. He then appeared in an episode for the BBC television series The Afternoon Play.

In 2002, James was cast as the role of Ian Wallace in the teen romantic comedy What a Girl Wants. The film was directed by Dennie Gordon and co-starred Amanda Bynes. The movie was released in 2003, to mixed critical reception, and a moderate box office with worldwide earnings of $50,732,139.[2][3]


In 2004, James was cast to portray the role of Jay Corgan in New Line Cinema's musical drama film Raise Your Voice. The film which was directed by Sean McNamara and co-starred Hilary Duff. The film received negative reviews from critics and was a box office bomb earning worldwide $14,867,514.[4][5]

In 2006, James signed on for the BBC drama television series The Innocence Project portraying the role of Nick Benitz. The eight-episode first season received negative reviews from critics.[6] Ratings were very poor and the BBC chose to pull the series midway through season one, with the show not being renewed for a second season.[7]

In 2009, James portrayed the role of Ben in Paramount Home Entertainment's Direct-to-DVD sequel Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling. The film received negative reviews.[8]

In 2011, James appeared in a leading role in the TV film Roadkill. He is set to appear in the upcoming TV film Black Forest.

Music career

Shortly after appearing in The Afternoon Play, James joined a boy band produced by Simon Fuller. He quit the band as soon as he was cast in What A Girl Wants. For What A Girl Wants, he learned to play the guitar and sang the songs "Long Time Coming" and "Greatest Story Ever Told" which appear on the film's soundtrack. He played the acoustic guitar and sang the last song in Raise Your Voice.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Note
2002 School's Out Dean TV film
2003 What a Girl Wants Ian Wallace
2004 Raise Your Voice Jay Corgan
2009 Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling Ben Direct-To-DVD
2011 Roadkill Ryan TV film
2012 Black Forest Gallen TV film
Television
Year Title Role Note
2003 The Afternoon Play Dave Episode: "Girls Weekend"
2003-2005 Emmerdale Liam Atkinson Regular
2006–2007 The Innocence Project Nick Benitz Regular; 8 Episodes

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ "What a Girl Wants". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
  3. ↑ "What a Girl Wants (2003)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
  4. ↑ "Raise Your Voice". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
  5. ↑ "Raise Your Voice (2004)". Box Office Mojo. 2004-11-21. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
  6. ↑ Dowell, Ben (2006-10-05). "First Review: The Innocence Project | Media | guardian.co.uk". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
  7. ↑ Ben Dowell (4 December 2006). "Innocence lost on BBC1 viewers | Media | The Observer". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
  8. ↑ "Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2012-04-04.

External links