Rising Actor James Burleson Has Worked for Every Opportunity
The law of averages dictates that eventually, if you’re trying to do something meaningful in life, you’re going to face a difficult situation. Or three. Or 10.
What separates people who fail from people who succeed is not the fact that they face difficulty; everyone faces difficulty and has to deal with adversity in some form or another. It’s just a part of life.
But what separates the good from the great is the ability to adjust, to learn, to understand what needs to change, and then to execute.
Even for a very talented actor, that kind of discipline and perseverance is exceedingly rare.
Thankfully, James Burleson is an exceedingly rare kind of person.
James Burleson spent years serving America before going into Hollywood, and the perseverance he learned along the way served him quite well. He’s a unique Hollywood talent who’s quickly on the rise, and is no stranger to hard work. (You can follow James on Instagram @jburlesonactor).
A United States Air Force veteran with 8 years of service, James concluded his service in 2011 to pursue a full-time acting career… risking a structured, stable life virtually guaranteed future.
“It was an enormous risk leaving a secure, military role into an insecure position, but I’m so glad I took the risk.”
It was worth it. James has acted in over 80 different productions, handling a wide range of roles in various complex genres. In 2022 alone, James has acted in 6 projects including the Lifetime series #TextMeWhenYouGetHome as well as two feature films, Mister Gates (Dondaga Films) and Homeboys (NSM Production & JF Bailey Films), both expected for release in 2023. James is as comfortable making you laugh as he is playing a deeper character.
“My passion behind acting is escaping into another dimension of empathy to where the audience can escape to connect and relate, thereby making an impact.”
James continues,
“I went through many years of acting as an extra on productions, acting in many student films and short films. All of that eventually led to bigger opportunities like getting cast in feature films as well as episodes on various TV productions. Where there is a will, there is a way. My motivation and perseverance in doing what I love to do will never die.”
James’ ability to adjust and find new ways to succeed have been his crown achievement in perseverance. “You never know what a Casting Director is thinking, so do not worry about something you cannot control, like rejection. It will show in your face, and you most likely will not book the audition. Also, treat each audition as if you are having fun. Even if you do not book it, use each audition as a learning experience to succeed and grow stronger in your craft.”
James hopes to expand to over 100 credits within the next few years. “My goal is to make a cinematic impact on global audiences.”
You’ve probably seen James before. James’s most familiar work includes an episode of Mystery Diners on the Food Network, where he played a manager who steals a barbecue sauce recipe from his uncle, the owner, and a role on Investigation Discovery’s Most Evil, the series finale of the show, in which he played a serial killer named Levi King. He also played Sean Penn and Jim Toth on two separate episodes of “The Price of Fame” on the REELZ channel. One of James’s most proud accomplishments is the film “The Johnny Starr Story,” based on a true story about a musician who dies mysteriously with his band in a plane crash.
Learn more about James:
Official website:
IMDb: https://www.IMDb.me/jamesburleson
Demo Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oATjOSBTX4k
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jburlesonactor
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/jburlesonactor
