Stephan James (actor)

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Stephan James
File:Stephan James.jpg
James in 2017.
Born (1993-12-16) December 16, 1993 (age 31)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Nationality Canadian
Occupation Actor
Years active 2010–present

Stephan James (born December 16, 1993) is a Canadian actor. After starring in a string of television series as a teenager, he rose to prominence upon winning a Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor for his role as track and field sprinter Jesse Owens in the 2016 film Race.[1]

In 2018, he starred in Barry Jenkins' acclaimed drama film If Beale Street Could Talk, based on the James Baldwin novel of the same name. Also that year, he portrayed Walter Cruz in the Amazon series Homecoming, for which he received a Golden Globe Award nomination.[2]

Early life

James was born in Toronto, Ontario. He graduated from Jarvis Collegiate Institute in 2011.[3] He is the younger brother of actor Shamier Anderson. His family is Jamaican.[4]

Career

Early work

James got his start in television with a recurring role for two seasons on the long-running Canadian teen series Degrassi. After leaving Degrassi, James played various supporting roles on television, including in How To Be Indie, Clue, and My Babysitter's a Vampire in 2011, and The Listener and The LA Complex in 2012. Also in 2011, he played a supporting role in the ABC Family made-for-TV movie 12 Dates of Christmas.[5]

Later career

James landed his first major feature film role playing opposite Tatyana Ali and Fefe Dobson in the Canadian film Home Again (2012), in which he played a Jamaican deportee.[6] Although the film received mixed reviews,[7][8][9] The Globe and Mail gave James' performance a positive review, calling it "heartbreaking."[8] James garnered a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 1st Canadian Screen Awards for his performance,[10] though he ultimately lost to Serge Kanyinda.[11]

In 2013, James was cast as civil rights activist John Lewis in Ava Duvernay's Martin Luther King Jr. film Selma (2014), which went on to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.[12] When asked about the proposed "snubs" the film received from the Academy,[13][14][15] James said:

To me, I've always seen this film as a victory really, even before I saw the finished version. No award can amount to the way I feel about what we've done with this film. We've done something so relevant to our youth.[16]

In 2015, James guest-starred in the CBC television mini-series The Book of Negroes, based on the award-winning novel of the same name by Lawrence Hill.[17] At the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, James was named one of the industry's foremost "Rising Stars".[18][19][20][21] In celebration of Black History Month, James was named by CBC as one of their '6 Black Canadian Culture-Makers,' citing Oprah Winfrey as one of his biggest influences.[22]

In 2016, James starred in the lead role of African-American track and field sprinter Jesse Owens in the biopic Race (2016) opposite Jason Sudeikis, replacing Star Wars star John Boyega.[23][24][25] For his role in Race, James won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor.[1]

In 2017, James played DOJ prosecutor Preston Terry in the FOX limited series, Shots Fired.[26] In 2018, he starred in Barry Jenkins' film adaptation of the James Baldwin novel If Beale Street Could Talk, which was nominated for several Academy Awards.[27][28] Also that year, he portrayed Walter Cruz, opposite Julia Roberts, Bobby Cannavale, and Shea Whigham, in the Amazon series Homecoming. James received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his performance in Homecoming. More recently, he and Shamier Anderson had signed a deal with Boat Rocker.[29] In February 2022, it was reported that James is attached to star and co-produce a limited series about the life of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.[30]

Nonprofit work

James and his brother, fellow actor Shamier Anderson, founded a non-profit called B.L.A.C.K. Canada (Building a Legacy in Acting, Cinema + Knowledge) in 2016. In December 2020, they announced an extension of the organization called The Black Academy, which showcases Black talent across Canada in the arts, culture, entertainment, and sports. James explained, "We're not short of talent but we are short of opportunities. And so we can only hope that The Black Academy will continue to elevate and inspire the Anglophone and Francophone communities to come together and have one place in which they can build on what they've already started and be celebrated and honored for it, rightfully so." The organization's vision includes building a coalition of supporters who can provide funding, mentorship, programming, and awards to support Black excellence in Canada.[31]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2012 Home Again Everton St. Clair Nominated—Canadian Screen Award for Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role[32]
2014 Perfect Sisters Donny
The Dependables
When the Game Stands Tall Terrance G. "T.K." Kelly
Selma John Lewis Nominated—Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male[33]
2015 Lost After Dark Wesley
Across the Line Mattie Slaughter
2016 Race Jesse Owens Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor[34]
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture[35]
2018 If Beale Street Could Talk Alonzo "Fonny" Hunt
2019 21 Bridges Michael Trujillo
2021 National Champions LeMarcus James
2022 Delia's Gone Louis Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2010 My Babysitter's a Vampire Jock Television film
2010–11 How to Be Indie Wilfred 3 episodes
2010–12 Degrassi: The Next Generation Julian Williams 8 episodes
2011 My Babysitter's a Vampire Jock #1 Episode: "Smells Like Trouble"
Clue Dmitri 5 episodes
12 Dates of Christmas Michael Television film
2012 The Listener Ibrahim Ayim Episode: "The Taking"
The L.A. Complex Infinite Jest 5 episodes
2013 Cracked Ben Omari Episode: "Faces"
2014 The Gabby Douglas Story John 16-18 Years Television film
Apple Mortgage Cake William Logan Television film
2015 Unveiled Daniel Shepard Television film
The Book of Negroes Cummings Shakspear Episode #1.5
2017 Shots Fired Preston Terry 10 episodes
2018–present Homecoming Walter Cruz 16 episodes
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama
2020 #FreeRayshawn Rayshawn Morris 12 episodes
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series
2022 Surface Baden Main role, upcoming series

Awards and nominations

Association Year Work Category Result Ref.
Black Film Critics Circle Awards 2014 Selma Best Ensemble Won
Black Reel Awards 2015 Selma Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male Nominated [36]
2017 Shots Fired Outstanding Actor, TV Movie/Limited Series Nominated [37]
2019 If Beale Street Could Talk Outstanding Actor Nominated [38]
Canadian Screen Awards 2013 Home Again Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated [39]
2017 Race Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Won [40]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards 2015 Selma Best Ensemble Nominated [41]
Golden Globe Awards 2019 Homecoming Best Performance in a Television Series – Drama Nominated [42]
Georgia Film Critics Association 2014 Selma Best Ensemble Nominated [43]
2018 If Beale Street Could Talk Nominated
NAACP Image Awards 2017 Race Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Nominated [44]
2019 If Beale Street Could Talk Nominated [45]
2021 #FreeRayshawn Outstanding Performance in a Short-Form Series Nominated [46]
Primetime Emmy Awards 2020 #FreeRayshawn Best Television Actor – Drama Series Nominated [47]
San Diego Film Critics Society 2014 Selma Best Acting Ensemble Nominated [48]
Seattle Film Critics Society 2018 If Beale Street Could Talk Best Ensemble Cast Nominated [49]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association 2015 Selma Best Acting Ensemble Nominated [50]
2018 If Beale Street Could Talk Nominated [51]
Women Film Critics Circle 2018 If Beale Street Could Talk (with KiKi Layne) Best Screen Couple Won [51]

References

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  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ "Introducing the Canadian Screen Awards, and their 2013 nominees"[dead link]. Maclean's, January 15, 2013.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  18. ↑ "Meet the four up-and-coming Canadian actors in TIFF's Rising Stars program". The Globe and Mail, September 10, 2015.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  49. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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