Check Out James Healy’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to James Healy.

Hi James, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I began doing theatre in High School because my best friend wanted to do it. I fell in love with the process and began getting better roles before my senior year. I continued in College and must have gotten better because I was getting lead roles on a regular basis and winning awards at the end of each season.
So I decided to do this for a career.

I obtained my first agent when I was 16 or 17. I started by doing some background work and reading for day player roles. Soon I was doing industrial (training films) and one liners in film and episodic TV.

I continued doing this throughout my adult life while I continued to do local theatre. I was in NY after college for a short time and then I moved back to TX where I again continued to do theatre and film/tv roles as they came into the TX/OK area. Finally moving to LA in 1995.

During this time I was also a police officer, working patrol, then Detective, SWAT and patrol Sgt. I went to Afghanistan on a Dept of State contract in 2006 to help create the Afghan National Police Dept. Back home I became a Chief of Police my last seven years before I retired. I wasn’t able to do much acting during this time because of the demands of the job.

After I retired in 2016, I went back to acting full time and moved to Atlanta, because that seemed to be where most of the work was at. I was very lucky getting an agent right away and booking two films within a couple of months of moving there.

When the pandemic hit I has just finished a film and was on my way to LA again. As things started to pick back up, we were using self tape more and more and the idea of paying to live somewhere else when my house and my wife and kid were in TX didn’t make sense anymore.

Since I have agents in NY, LA, the SE and SW, it just made sense to go home and not spend money to keep renting apartments in the other markets. I have friends who I stay with when I travel and they are welcome to stay with us if they book a job here as well.

Since the strike it has been really bad. More productions have gone overseas or to Canada and I have gone from booking 12 to 15 jobs a year to 4 or 5 the last two years. So bad I have considered going back to work full time again. But we are hopeful things will get better here. Many states are offering tax incentives and so are some cities to help out. So, maybe there will be more work again in the U.S. soon.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No there are always struggles and rough spots. Lack of opportunities recently has hit everyone. Recognizable faces/names are doing roles they would not have done a few years ago.

Personally the struggle with a real job, acting, and the family life is tough as well. Being away from them for periods of a time. But it is worse when I am home for long periods because then I am not happy and they want me to leave, but in a good way, LOL.

The fact that I am bald I think hurts me as much as it helps me at times. Producers just don’t see a role as bald sometimes, so they go with someone else. I have hair, in a box, I can put on anytime. It’s a great piece but getting casting directors to think of you with your hair, when they are used to a different look isn’t easy either. I call my two looks: hardtop and convertible.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Sadly, I am just an actor. I would love to write. I have great ideas and stories, but putting them into a script takes a whole different talent, that I apparently don’t have. A lot of my ideas come from my days as a cop, but I have a suspense and a comedy script as well. It’s the, what I call, fill scenes that I have a tough time with. You know the scenes that we fast forward thru, LOL.

Over the last few years as I grew into my character look and into my 60’s I started playing more dads. I really do enjoy playing those roles as the father of the lead female. Mainly because as a father of a 20 something year old I can relate very well. I have also started to play more judges, lawyers and older cop roles, go figure!

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Work. I love my family and want to be with them but at the same time, there is nothing like being on set, developing a character and being in the moment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0372289/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jameshealyactor/

Image Credits
most of the pictures are screen grabs, or self taken. The headshot is from Bryan Cheitlan photography, dallas, I paid for them and have the right to use them.