Today we’d like to introduce you to James Healy Jr.
Hi James, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I began my acting career in High School. I was a Theatre Major in HS and College. My first one-liner was on the “who shot JR” episode of Dallas in 1980 when I was only 18 and that allowed me to join the Screen Actors Guild. I was taking acting, voice and dance classes in anticipation of being a Broadway Actor. I was hooked with the love of acting at a young age!
But love came into my life and I was married and off to be a police officer for 30 years. I never stopped acting though, I continued to do theatre, film and TV roles as they came into Texas. Then when we moved to Los Angeles in 1995. I found I could be a patrol officer and still act for film and TV as long as the roles were Co-Star and Day roles or what we used to call Principal and Under 5’s. Then, I retired in 2016 and went back into acting full-time.
Back in the day, I worked on Co Star and Guest Star roles on Judging Amy, Will and Grace, JAG, and had a recurring role on a Disney show called Even Stevens. These days I am an “older” Character actor, but the roles are better. I usually do Guest and Lead roles in film/TV and Indie films. Last year I booked several jobs including Killers of the Flower Moon with Robert De Niro, a 6 Episode Sony Studios limited Series called A thousand Tomorrows, A Guest Role on BULL, a CBS series.
Being a Character actor, I tend to travel a lot. Over the last couple of years, I have worked in NOLA, Atlanta, Miami, Virginia, NY, LA, Pittsburg, Oklahoma, Savannah and even a few times in my home state of TX. Because of the amount of work, I have also lost a few jobs due to scheduling. Including a Chicago job and a job in Wyoming both for major hit series that shoot there. But that is the price of being a working actor. No Worries, it’s a good problem to have, LOL.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road is never smooth. There have been major ups and downs in my personal life and the business. My wife and I lost a child back in 1986 and I never wanted to be a police officer but I had to have a real job to pay the bills. But I ended up absolutely loving the job. I retired as a chief of police. Then Hollywood didn’t think I was good looking enough in my younger years, looks matter in LA. I lost my hair at a young age (barely 30) and so I was not being considered for the lead roles and at the same time, I wasn’t really “Character” enough for the older roles, But I worked.
Jealousy would take over at times as I watched my friends Lauren Lane and Lou Diamond Phillips go on to success. I watched friends who had no ties bind them to do play after play or really give their entire attention to their career. But ultimately, I wouldn’t trade my life and my life experiences for anything. They made me who I am and that guy works a lot today!
The one constant was family. Especially my wife, Claire, of over 38 years and my 19 years old daughter Jenny. I couldn’t do what I do without their love and support.
There will always be something that causes you to not get a role. You’re too tall, too short, too thin, not thin enough (it is Hollywood after all). I always blamed my hair loss, but there are times when it works for me too. You have to let that go and just do the best you can. Get a script, read the sides, work it out and then send off your self tape and LET IT GO! If it is the right role, the right time and the right people are in place, it will work out.
I have been fortunate that there are some directors/producers and casting directors who believe in me and have given me some great opportunities. Obviously, there are tons of casting directors who have given me chances to book roles and I thank them all. But people like Ricki Maslar, Joey Paul Jensen, Cassidy Lunnen, Sean McNamara and David Brookwell, Fincannon casting, Jo Edna Boldin, Feldstein/Paris, Jackie Burch, Rhavynn and Jonathan Strauss, these folks have allowed me to read for and book large Guest Roles, Leads and recurring roles. And many have become a friend as well. I only mention this so that regional actors understand that it can take years for larger roles to come to a regional actor, when they are mostly hired out of LA and NY. So when you have someone believe in you and give you those chances. It is a dream come true and you need to hold those friends close.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
There was never anything special about me. I am just an “everyman.” But this can work to your advantage as well. Some actors try to market themselves as a specific type. There was a time when I would only be cast as police officers, detectives, SWAT team, etc. Mostly because casting new I had years of police experience. But as I have grown older and my face caught up to my hair loss. I am not as pigeonholed as I was before. I never tried to put myself out as one type, that just happened and of course as long as I was working, I didn’t care. Now, I still play cop roles, but the Captain or Chief, I played a lot of Doctors and Judges and over the last year, I am playing a lot more Dad roles. Specifically those dads on the Lifetime and Hallmark type films, Dad of the lead female or male actor. These have been larger roles with some meat to the script and scenes. Opportunities to stretch my acting chops and even get to cry or fight back the tears sometimes.
And no actor is a success without a TEAM. I want to thank my team for all their hard work. My Manager Chris Roe, (CRM) and my agents: Susan Tolar Walters (STW), Katrina Fristoe (SWAG) and Sharon Tabb (TABB).
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was born in San Antonio TX but we moved to Arlington TX at a young age. My father loved sports, so I tried them all. I was never good at football or basketball, but I did play baseball for several years. I was a good bowler too, carried a 185 average by the time I was 15. But my love was Soccer from the age of 7 to 18. I played every year, sometimes in multiple leagues. But my favorite time of the year was Summer time. Not just because there was no school. But because I was able to move out to the country and work, play and ride horses on our farm. I even learned to drive, because there are no rules in the pastures. Well, don’t hit the cows but other than that, you could drive anywhere on the land.
I was a mixture of shy and outgoing. If I didn’t know you or anyone at the place I was at, I was a little reserved. But once you got me talking, I wouldn’t shut up. Just look at my report card. TALKS A LOT, was written several times on my card.
Contact Info:
- Website: jameshealyactor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jameshealyactor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/james.healy.1466/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jameshealyjr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRuy96VmngJOx_O-nCDuYOQ/featured
Image Credits
Selfies ScreenShots Bryan Chatlien
