Oliver James (entertainer)
Encyclopedia
Oliver James is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his roles in the American films What a Girl Wants
and Raise Your Voice
.
television series The Afternoon Play
in the episode Girls' Weekend.
In 2002, he was cast as the role of Ian Wallace in the teen romantic comedy
What a Girl Wants
. The film starred Amanda Bynes
, Kelly Preston
and Colin Firth
and was directed by Dennie Gordon
. The film was released on 4 April 2003 to a mixed critical reception from critics. The film had moderate box office success earning worldwide a total of $50,732,139. He was the only actor to kiss Amanda Bynes in the screen test.
In 2004, Oliver was cast to portray the role of Jay Corgan in New Line Cinema
's musical
drama film Raise Your Voice
. The film which was directed by Sean McNamara
starred Hilary Duff
and David Keith
. The film was released 8 October 2004. The film received negative reviews from critics and was a box office bomb earning worldwide $10,411,980.
In 2006, Oliver signed on for the BBC
drama television series The Innocence Project
portraying the role of Nick Benitz. The eight episode first season received negative reviews from critics. Ratings were very poor and the BBC chose to pull the series midway through season one. A second season was not renewed.
In 2009, he portrayed the role of Ben in Paramount Home Entertainment
's Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling
. The film is a sequel to the 2004 film Without a Paddle
. The film was released straight-to-DVD on 13 January 2009 to negative reviews.
. He quit the band as soon as he was cast in What A Girl Wants. For What A Girl Wants he learned to play the guitar and sang the songs Long Time Coming and Greatest Story Ever Told which both appeared on the films soundtrack. He played the acoustic guitar in Raise Your Voice.
What a Girl Wants (film)
What a Girl Wants is a 2003 film starring Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston and Oliver James. Directed by Dennie Gordon, the film is a remake of the 1958 film, The Reluctant Debutante which had a screenplay by William Douglas-Home, based on his play of the same name.The title, "What a Girl...
and Raise Your Voice
Raise Your Voice
Raise Your Voice is a 2004 American teen musical drama film directed by Sean McNamara-Plot:Terri Fletcher , a teenager with a passion for singing, has been accepted into a music program in Los Angeles to compete for a $10,000 scholarship shortly after her brother Paul 's tragic death in a car crash...
.
Acting career
Oliver's first screen appearance was a supporting role in the 2002 Made-for-Television short film as Dean. He appeared in the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series The Afternoon Play
The Afternoon Play
The Afternoon Play is a series of individual plays which sometimes appear on BBC One during weekday afternoons. The first series began on 27 January 2003, and as of 2008 there have been five series...
in the episode Girls' Weekend.
In 2002, he was cast as the role of Ian Wallace in the teen romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
What a Girl Wants
What a Girl Wants (film)
What a Girl Wants is a 2003 film starring Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston and Oliver James. Directed by Dennie Gordon, the film is a remake of the 1958 film, The Reluctant Debutante which had a screenplay by William Douglas-Home, based on his play of the same name.The title, "What a Girl...
. The film starred Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, comedian, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You...
, Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
and Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
and was directed by Dennie Gordon
Dennie Gordon
Dennie Gordon is an American film and television director.Her directorial television credits include, Chicago Hope, Picket Fences, Dawson's Creek, Sports Night, Ally McBeal, The Practice, 30 Rock, Grounded for Life and among other series.She has also directed the feature films Joe Dirt, New York...
. The film was released on 4 April 2003 to a mixed critical reception from critics. The film had moderate box office success earning worldwide a total of $50,732,139. He was the only actor to kiss Amanda Bynes in the screen test.
In 2004, Oliver was cast to portray the role of Jay Corgan in New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
's musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
drama film Raise Your Voice
Raise Your Voice
Raise Your Voice is a 2004 American teen musical drama film directed by Sean McNamara-Plot:Terri Fletcher , a teenager with a passion for singing, has been accepted into a music program in Los Angeles to compete for a $10,000 scholarship shortly after her brother Paul 's tragic death in a car crash...
. The film which was directed by Sean McNamara
Sean McNamara (director)
Sean Patrick Michael McNamara is an American film director, film producer, actor, and screenwriter.McNamara was born in Burbank, California. He is best known for his feature film Soul Surfer and in the preteen film market, having worked with Jessica Alba, Hilary Duff, Shia LaBeouf, Christy...
starred Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
and David Keith
David Keith
David Lemuel Keith is an American actor and director. He received Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor and New Star of the Year – Actor for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman.-Career:...
. The film was released 8 October 2004. The film received negative reviews from critics and was a box office bomb earning worldwide $10,411,980.
In 2006, Oliver signed on for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
drama television series The Innocence Project
The Innocence Project (BBC TV Series)
The Innocence Project is a television drama series created by BBC Northern Ireland and originally broadcast on BBC One in 2006–07.-Synopsis:...
portraying the role of Nick Benitz. The eight episode first season received negative reviews from critics. Ratings were very poor and the BBC chose to pull the series midway through season one. A second season was not renewed.
In 2009, he portrayed the role of Ben in Paramount Home Entertainment
Paramount Home Entertainment
Paramount Home Entertainment is the division of Paramount Pictures dealing with home video founded in late 1975.-History:...
's Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling
Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling
Without a Paddle: Nature's Calling is a 2009 direct-to-video spin-off from the 2004 film Without a Paddle.It was released on DVD in the US on January 13, 2009 and in the UK on March 23, 2009.-Plot:...
. The film is a sequel to the 2004 film Without a Paddle
Without A Paddle
Without a Paddle is a 2004 comedy film about three reunited childhood friends going on a trip up a remote river in order to search for the body of a long lost thief and his loot...
. The film was released straight-to-DVD on 13 January 2009 to negative reviews.
Music career
Shortly after appearing in The Afternoon Play Oliver joined a boy band produced by Simon FullerSimon Fuller
Simon Fuller is a British artist manager, television producer and creator of the Idol franchise, first seen as Pop Idol in the UK. Fuller is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Fox TV reality show So You Think You Can Dance and other U.S...
. He quit the band as soon as he was cast in What A Girl Wants. For What A Girl Wants he learned to play the guitar and sang the songs Long Time Coming and Greatest Story Ever Told which both appeared on the films soundtrack. He played the acoustic guitar in Raise Your Voice.
Filmography
- 2011 - RoadkillRoadkillRoadkill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by motor vehicles. In the United States of America, removal and disposal of animals struck by motor vehicles is usually the responsibility of the state's state trooper association or department of transportation.-History:During the...
....Ryan - 2009 - Without a Paddle: Nature's CallingWithout a Paddle: Nature's CallingWithout a Paddle: Nature's Calling is a 2009 direct-to-video spin-off from the 2004 film Without a Paddle.It was released on DVD in the US on January 13, 2009 and in the UK on March 23, 2009.-Plot:...
.... Ben - 2006/2007 - The Innocence ProjectThe Innocence Project (BBC TV Series)The Innocence Project is a television drama series created by BBC Northern Ireland and originally broadcast on BBC One in 2006–07.-Synopsis:...
.... Nick Benitz - 2004 - Raise Your VoiceRaise Your VoiceRaise Your Voice is a 2004 American teen musical drama film directed by Sean McNamara-Plot:Terri Fletcher , a teenager with a passion for singing, has been accepted into a music program in Los Angeles to compete for a $10,000 scholarship shortly after her brother Paul 's tragic death in a car crash...
.... Jay Corgan - 2003 - What a Girl WantsWhat a Girl Wants (film)What a Girl Wants is a 2003 film starring Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston and Oliver James. Directed by Dennie Gordon, the film is a remake of the 1958 film, The Reluctant Debutante which had a screenplay by William Douglas-Home, based on his play of the same name.The title, "What a Girl...
.... Ian Wallace - 2003 - The Afternoon PlayThe Afternoon PlayThe Afternoon Play is a series of individual plays which sometimes appear on BBC One during weekday afternoons. The first series began on 27 January 2003, and as of 2008 there have been five series...
.... Dave - 2002 - School's Out .... Dean
External links
- Oliver James.net (unofficial fansite)