Jim teaches self-taping for the Chicago SAG-AFTRA Conservatory.
photo: Kathy Byrne
“You won’t find a better deal for the quality. The environment is incredibly supportive but not superficial. Your work will be critiqued. It’s the only way to improve…and you will improve.”
-Katy O’Brian
Jim is an American character actor with over 60 film/TV projects and 300 plus live theatrical productions to his credit. He is the chief instructor at both the Southeast Actors Academy in Atlanta and Indy Actors Academy in Indianapolis.
Jim studied theatre and film at Indiana University and later went on to pursue the craft in Chicago where he worked for Victory Gardens and Body Politic Theatres. While living in Chicago, Jim trained as a stuntman under John Hicks Pearce and became the assistant coordinator for The Chicago Stunt Team.
He is also an award winning cinematographer, editor, set designer, and stage and film director.
Jim’s approach to the craft comes from his years of experience working both sides of the camera and the stage. He currently teaches and coaches students via Zoom at Online Actors Academy.
Jim’s students have been seen in an array of films and television shows in multiple markets.
Including: Between Waves, Black Lightning, Brockmire, Columbus, Chicago Fire (NBC), Chicago PD (NBC), Empire (Fox), The Gifted (FOX), Halt and Catch Fire (AMC), Homecoming, House of Cards (Netflix), How to Survive the End of the World (NatGeo), The Inspectors (CBS), MacGyver, The Mandelorian, Nashville, Old Dogs Never Die, Proxy, Rapture, Sand Castles, The Things We’ve Seen, The Walking Dead (AMC), Remedy of a Killer, Reparation, The Resident, The Rowboat, Snapped: Killer Couples (Oxygen), Westworld, Z Nation
Southeast Actors Academy student Makario Glenn Co-starring on MacGyver.
© Photo courtesy of CBS
Southeast Actors Academy student Grady Port as Young Ted Kaczynski in Manhunt: Unibomber
© Photo courtesy of Discovery
Indy Actors Academy alum Katy O’Brian recurs as the Comms Officer on The Mandalorian.
Southeast Actors Academy student Butch Copeland co-stars on Stargirl.
More on Jim’s classes can be found here: Online Actors Academy.