Who is this guy they call Elliot James? Isn’t he the one who has directed a drama program for US Performing Arts at UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) and recently became a Consultant to them? Yes, he’s the one. Isn’t he the same Elliot James who ran his own Shakespeare workshop and wrote and performed the successful show, Shakespeare Demystified, which also played at the Little Swan Theatre at UC Irvine and toured the UK? Well…yes, he is also that same Elliot James. Okay, then, isn’t he the one who presented An Evening with Richard Chamberlain At UCLA and also worked with such Actors as Jeff Goldblum, Alan Arkin, Armin Shimerman and John Lithgow. Yes, he is one and the same.
Is he also the same Elliot James who took master classes with Ian McKellan and auditioned for and was accepted at the Royal Shakespeare Company? And isn’t he the same guy who performed in all those Shakespeare plays along with some perennial favorites such as Waiting for Godot, Don Quixote, Ghosts, Loves Labours Lost and Amadeus, as Mozart? YES!!! It’s the same guy!!
Okay, we get the picture. Elliot James is a superb actor who has been around the block a hundred times. He also believes that people are born actors but that they should get all the training they can so they’ll be in a constant state of readiness for any part. He thinks that even if you may have natural talent that you should seek out experienced teachers and coaches so you can hone that talent into a finely tuned instrument.
Elliot James has worked with some famous professionals, such as Martin Scorsese and Bill Murray, to name a few. He would like to work with other actors who he admires like Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Judi Dench and Al Pacino. He feels they are true actors who give their all to their craft and art. He also feels that working with experienced, talented and focused actors only makes him a better actor.
Elliot is planning on moving to the United States soon and perhaps he’ll get a chance to work with some of the greats that he admires. And maybe they will get their chance at working with one of Great Britain’s finest actors too.
