James trained at the National Youth Theatre and Guildford School of Acting. His theatre credits include: Richard II (Old Vic/Ruhrfestspiele), The Blue Room, Assassins (both Derby Playhouse), Channel 4 Sitcom Festival (Riverside Studios), Mutabilitie, Mother Courage (both National Theatre), Deadwood, Tom Jones (both Watermill, Newbury), Edward II (King’s Head), Lock Up Your Daughters, The Three Sisters (both Chichester Festival Theatre), Jeeves (Really Useful Group), On the Piste (Hull Truck), Rope (Wyndhams Theatre), Aspects of Love (Prince of Wales Theatre), Viva Espana (Arts Theatre), Radio Times (Queens Theatre and Birmingham Rep), The Challenge (Shaw Theatre) and Les Miserables (Palace Theatre).
Television includes: Sold, The Bill, Inspector Linley Mysteries, The Grid, Holby City, Sea of Souls, A&E, The Block, Casualty, Where the Heart Is, Sunburn, Grafters, Babes in the Wood, Eastenders, Strange But True, Just a Gigolo and Weekend Love.
Film includes: Us and Them, The Little Things You Do and Road to Guantanamo.