Eli James

Born

1977-03-24

Birthplace

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Biography

Eli James is an actor, writer, comedian and dialect specialist best known for his voice work on Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal (2011) and his roles on Gossip Girl (2007), Unforgettable (2011), Alpha House (2013), Lights Out (2011) and many commercials. His Broadway credits include "One Man, Two Guvnors," directed by Nicholas Hytner, as well as Alex Timbers and Michael Friedman's "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson." Further stage credits include "Rutherford & Son" at The Mint Theater, "Becky Shaw" at the Huntington Theater, "The Four of Us" at Manhattan Theatre Club, and the world premiere of Jason Grote's "Maria/Stuart" at the Woolly Mammoth Theater, directed by Pam McKinnon. In his native Philadelphia, he appeared in "Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde" with Philadelphia Theatre Company, and was in the East Coast premiere of Tom Stoppard's "The Invention of Love" at The Wilma Theater. His solo show "Imagine All the People: A Survey of Music Business Creeps" ran at the Peoples Improv Theater in New York. Prior to that, his solo work "William and the Tradesmen" ran in the New York International Fringe Festival, Ars Nova's ANT Fest and at the Drilling Company Theater with Project: Theater. It was dubbed "a gem ... well-wrought, insightful and precise" by nytheatre. For three years, Eli was a house-team performer at New York's legendary comedy venue the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. He performed on Maude Night, UCB's monthly sketch comedy showcase, with the teams "Cha-Cha," "Mama's Gotta Go" and "Lover." He continues to perform at the UCB Theater in improv, sketch and character shows, and is a long-time student of the theater's Advanced Study Improv Program and UCB Academy. He is a lifelong guitarist and songwriter, and as a coach, he has instructed many diverse groups and individuals in acting, improv, and his specialty: dialects.