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IMDbPro

James Shanklin

  • Actor
  • Writer
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
James Shanklin
From Publish or Perish (multiple festival Best Actor awards)
Play demo reel1:19
Reel James Shanklin
11 Videos
99+ Photos
James Shanklin is an award winning actor and screenwriter.

Born and raised in Baltimore Maryland. During his undergraduate time he would spend his summers working as a member of the Ocean City Beach Patrol as a lifeguard on the beach. The first professional theatre job was in David Hare's Map of the World at Center Stage in Baltimore, MD. Along with other roles at Washington, DC's Folger Theatre where he performed with Stacy Keach in Richard III, Arena Stage where he was directed by the legendary theatre director Liviu Ciulei. From there he went on to do several plays with The New York Shakespeare Festival and The Public Theatre.

From there he went on to the prestigious Yale School of Drama where he did a multitude of productions including John Guare's Landscape of the Body with Laura Linney. Upon graduating from Yale, James performed in plays with the Public Theatre and the New York Shakespeare Festival including the world premiere of Thulani Davis's Everybody's Ruby with Viola Davis. James never stopped his passion for doing theatre even after his film and television work began to increase. After doing multiple roles in New York City produced television shows and films, he moved to Los Angeles in 2004 where he has had the pleasure of working with actors such as Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Eddie Murphy, Alfre Woodard among others and directors such as David Fincher, Barry Sonnenfeld, JJ Abrams, Tyler Perry and many others.

In 2023 James portrays Steve Ballmer in the upcoming FX production of The Sterling Affairs, with Ed O'Neil, Jacki Weaver and Laurence Fishburne.

James has always been a passionate advocate for animals and at one point had five dogs. More recently he has 4 mini dachshunds he shares with actress Eileen Wesson.
BornOctober 31, 1957
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornOctober 31, 1957
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 13 wins & 12 nominations total

    Photos122

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    + 117
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    Known for

    Clipped (2024)
    Clipped
    6.5
    TV Mini Series
    • Steve Ballmer
    Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network (2010)
    The Social Network
    7.8
    • Prince Albert
    • 2010
    Brad Pitt in Moneyball (2011)
    Moneyball
    7.6
    • Billy's Dad
    • 2011
    Anson Mount in Hell on Wheels (2011)
    Hell on Wheels
    8.3
    TV Series
    • Aaron Hatch

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actor



    • Negro League Nights
      • Arthur White
      • Completed
      • Short
      • 2025
    • Georges Creek
      • Doc McKenna
      • Pre-production
    • The Last Night
      • Jim
      • Pre-production
      • Short



    • Clipped (2024)
      Clipped
      6.5
      TV Mini Series
      • Steve Ballmer
      • 2024
    • Damson Idris in Snowfall (2017)
      Snowfall
      8.4
      TV Series
      • Witherspoon
      • 2023
    • Haylie Duff and Rob Mayes in Sweet on You (2023)
      Sweet on You
      5.8
      TV Movie
      • Mutt
      • 2023
    • Publish or Perish (2023)
      Publish or Perish
      7.5
      • Richard Crawley
      • 2023
    • Shemar Moore in S.W.A.T. (2017)
      S.W.A.T.
      7.2
      TV Series
      • Deputy Mayor Carter
      • 2020
    • Tom Arnold, Brian Dennehy, Larry Clarke, Mo Gaffney, J.K. Simmons, and Julie Ann Emery in 3 Days with Dad (2019)
      3 Days with Dad
      4.0
      • Special Thanks
      • 2019
    • Pam Heffler, James Shanklin, Katie Michels, and Hannah Barefoot in Pushed (2019)
      Pushed
      Short
      • Tony Sunland
      • 2019
    • Hell Hath Enlarged Herself (2018)
      Hell Hath Enlarged Herself
      Short
      • Moss
      • 2018
    • William H. Macy, Steve Howey, Cameron Monaghan, Shanola Hampton, Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Cutkosky, and Emma Kenney in Shameless (2011)
      Shameless
      8.5
      TV Series
      • Rupert Jr.
      • 2018
    • Danielle Savre, Nick Ballard, Charles Justo, Ashley Love-Mills, and Brock O'Hurn in Too Close to Home (2016)
      Too Close to Home
      5.1
      TV Series
      • Eli
      • 2017
    • NCIS: Los Angeles (2009)
      NCIS: Los Angeles
      6.8
      TV Series
      • Secretary of Defense Curtis Oleksiuk
      • 2016
    • Anson Mount in Hell on Wheels (2011)
      Hell on Wheels
      8.3
      TV Series
      • Aaron Hatch
      • 2013–2016
    • Criminal Minds (2005)
      Criminal Minds
      8.1
      TV Series
      • Timothy Ritchie
      • 2016
    • Katherine Heigl in State of Affairs (2014)
      State of Affairs
      6.3
      TV Series
      • Senior Protocol Officer
      • 2015
    • Richard Dreyfuss and Gabriella Wilde in Squatters (2014)
      Squatters
      5.7
      Video
      • Sutherland
      • 2014

    Writer



    • A Knock at the Door
      • Writer
      • Pre-production
      • Short
    • Georges Creek
      • Writer
      • Pre-production
    • The Last Night
      • writer
      • Pre-production
      • Short

    Producer



    • Negro League Nights
      • executive producer
      • Completed
      • Short
      • 2025
    • A Knock at the Door
      • executive producer
      • Pre-production
      • Short
    • The Last Night
      • executive producer
      • Pre-production
      • Short

    • In-development projects at IMDbPro

    Videos11

    James Shanklin CLIPPED as Steve Ballmer
    Demo Reel 1:36
    James Shanklin CLIPPED as Steve Ballmer
    Reel James Shanklin
    Demo Reel 1:19
    Reel James Shanklin
    Reel James Shanklin
    Demo Reel 1:19
    Reel James Shanklin
    James Shanklin 2 minute
    Demo Reel 2:07
    James Shanklin 2 minute
    James Shanklin 4 minutes
    Demo Reel 4:11
    James Shanklin 4 minutes
    James Shanklin - SWAT
    Demo Reel 1:16
    James Shanklin - SWAT
    Too Close To Home
    Demo Reel 0:38
    Too Close To Home

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official site
      • Official Site
    • Alternative name
      • Jim Shanklin
    • Height
      • 6′ 1″ (1.85 m)
    • Born
      • October 31, 1957
      • Baltimore, Maryland, USA
    • Other works
      TV commercials for Acura, Folgers, Capital One, Toyota, American Airlines, Sprint, Wrigleys, UPS, Baskin Robbins, Orville Redenbacher among several others.
    • Publicity listings
      • 1 Interview
      • 7 Articles

    Self-verified on IMDbPro

    • Gender / Gender identity
      • Male

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Graduate of the Yale School of Drama where he received an MFA
    • Quotes
      Whatever good I may do in my life, I owe to the example I witnessed by the coal miners daughter whose family and friends called "Moe", I was blessed to call her Mom.
    • Nickname
      • Jim

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