116:
James was born in
Trinidad, and had a poor upbringing. He came to the United Kingdom in the 1950s. He initially worked as a taxi driver, a dish-washer and also a gymnast, but he always had aspirations to be an entertainer and followed his dream by becoming an actor.
781:
705:
796:
791:
741:
94:
actor who is based in the United
Kingdom. He has had a long and varied career, but is best known for appearing on British television, in particular the
142:
word for "hope"), initially to produce new black writing from
Britain and South Africa. Temba staged the first British production of Athol Fugard's
816:
811:
751:
736:
611:
731:
776:
806:
801:
666:
562:
357:
766:
278:
138:
In 1972, he co-founded with fellow actor Alton Kumalo the first black
British theatre company, Temba (the name derived from the
125:
Roles for black actors were sparse during James' early career, but he persevered to become the fourth black actor to join the
635:
227:
159:
786:
761:
756:
295:
319:
623:
771:
203:
268:. James was one of the original cast members, appearing in the series from its debut in 1985 until 1987.
182:
153:
126:
648:
428:
301:
514:
177:
726:
450:
387:
331:
221:
746:
490:
458:
347:
337:
191:
171:
721:
482:
466:
283:
8:
554:
530:
382:
165:
144:
420:
273:
215:
197:
91:
700:
546:
522:
377:
233:
209:
582:
538:
313:
636:"Black & Asian Performance in Britain 1970 onwards – Temba Theatre Company"
506:
474:
362:
255:
251:
105:
72:
715:
498:
139:
373:
671:
407:
186:
241:
51:
696:
442:
352:
345:(2006). He has also appeared in several films, including the 1977 film
325:
264:
100:
77:
246:
395:
307:
47:
289:
131:
250:
in 1978 as Antony
Moeketsi, an African teacher who taught
259:
104:, in which he was one of the original 23 cast members as
95:
151:
James had early roles in television programmes such as
398:
televised film in 2005, in which James also starred.
782:
Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to the United
Kingdom
376:, an actress with whom he had previously worked in
254:to read. However, he is best known for his role as
706:"Oscar James and Mustapha Matura in conversation"
713:
432:(1964) - Court Martial stenographer (uncredited)
351:, where he played loan shark Jomo, and the 2005
361:, where he played the shopkeeper in whose shop
626:, Royal National Theatre, Black Plays Archive.
240:He was the first black actor to appear in the
797:21st-century Trinidad and Tobago male actors
792:20th-century Trinidad and Tobago male actors
664:
372:, a radio play in which he worked alongside
742:Trinidad and Tobago male television actors
424:(1963) - Dancing man at club (uncredited)
817:20th-century Trinidad and Tobago actors
812:21st-century Trinidad and Tobago actors
752:21st-century Trinidad and Tobago people
606:
604:
602:
600:
279:Come in T-64, Your Time Is Ticking Away
108:, a role he played for over two years.
714:
658:
438:(1965) - Hospital Orderly (uncredited)
413:
737:Trinidad and Tobago male stage actors
732:Trinidad and Tobago male film actors
597:
454:(1970) - Nosha Warrior (uncredited)
13:
129:and the first black actor to play
14:
828:
777:Royal Shakespeare Company members
690:
665:Tony Bonnici (12 February 2005).
563:Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
368:In 2004, James played Herbert in
358:Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
807:21st-century British male actors
802:20th-century British male actors
401:
341:(2005) and the television drama
614:, BBC. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
365:finds the final Golden Ticket.
767:British male soap opera actors
708:, National Theatre, July 2013.
641:
629:
617:
1:
638:, Victoria and Albert Museum.
590:
111:
7:
10:
833:
271:Other TV credits include:
787:Black British male actors
762:British male stage actors
649:"Alton Kumalo" (obituary)
586:(2007) - Detective Peters
277:in the Series 1 episode "
127:Royal Shakespeare Company
120:
90:(born 25 July 1942) is a
66:
58:
30:
23:
757:British male film actors
647:Richard Anthony Baker,
624:"Temba Theatre Company"
572:(2006) - Rodney Pascale
558:(2004) - Superintendent
515:Last Night at the Alamo
510:(1981) - Football Coach
462:(1970) - Second Student
228:Tales of the Unexpected
667:"Square Are They Now?"
612:Oscar James interview"
451:Carry On Up the Jungle
370:Oxford Road: the Story
262:television soap opera
185:", in which he played
459:The Breaking of Bumbo
172:Till Death Us Do Part
772:British taxi drivers
578:(2007) - Storekeeper
467:All the Right Noises
436:Never Mention Murder
655:, 26 November 2013.
570:Shoot the Messenger
566:(2005) - Shopkeeper
531:Three Kinds of Heat
414:Partial filmography
394:was adapted into a
181:(the 1975 episode "
145:Sizwe Bansi is Dead
421:A Matter of Choice
320:The Line of Beauty
314:Crocodile Shoes II
160:Love Thy Neighbour
534:(1987) - Unle Joe
429:Man in the Middle
406:James resides in
204:The Professionals
85:
84:
16:Trinidadian actor
824:
684:
683:
681:
679:
662:
656:
645:
639:
633:
627:
621:
615:
608:
550:(2001) - Desmond
502:(1979) - Collins
392:Elmina's Kitchen
388:National Theatre
383:Elmina's Kitchen
378:Kwame Kwei-Armah
296:London's Burning
234:The Gentle Touch
69:
44:
40:
38:
21:
20:
832:
831:
827:
826:
825:
823:
822:
821:
712:
711:
693:
688:
687:
677:
675:
663:
659:
646:
642:
634:
630:
622:
618:
609:
598:
593:
526:(1985) - Miguel
478:(1971) - Azinge
446:(1966) - Dupree
416:
404:
123:
114:
67:
54:
45:
42:
36:
34:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
830:
820:
819:
814:
809:
804:
799:
794:
789:
784:
779:
774:
769:
764:
759:
754:
749:
744:
739:
734:
729:
724:
710:
709:
703:
692:
691:External links
689:
686:
685:
657:
640:
628:
616:
595:
594:
592:
589:
588:
587:
579:
573:
567:
559:
551:
543:
542:(1990) - Chief
535:
527:
519:
511:
507:Student Bodies
503:
495:
487:
486:(1976) - Colin
479:
471:
470:(1971) - Guard
463:
455:
447:
439:
433:
425:
415:
412:
403:
400:
363:Charlie Bucket
355:adaptation of
305:(2002; 2005),
256:Tony Carpenter
252:Seth Armstrong
247:Emmerdale Farm
154:Softly, Softly
122:
119:
113:
110:
106:Tony Carpenter
83:
82:
73:Tony Carpenter
70:
64:
63:
60:
56:
55:
46:
32:
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
829:
818:
815:
813:
810:
808:
805:
803:
800:
798:
795:
793:
790:
788:
785:
783:
780:
778:
775:
773:
770:
768:
765:
763:
760:
758:
755:
753:
750:
748:
745:
743:
740:
738:
735:
733:
730:
728:
727:Living people
725:
723:
720:
719:
717:
707:
704:
702:
698:
695:
694:
674:
673:
668:
661:
654:
650:
644:
637:
632:
625:
620:
613:
607:
605:
603:
601:
596:
585:
584:
580:
577:
574:
571:
568:
565:
564:
560:
557:
556:
552:
549:
548:
544:
541:
540:
536:
533:
532:
528:
525:
524:
520:
517:
516:
512:
509:
508:
504:
501:
500:
499:Jaguar Lives!
496:
494:(1977) - Jomo
493:
492:
488:
485:
484:
480:
477:
476:
472:
469:
468:
464:
461:
460:
456:
453:
452:
448:
445:
444:
440:
437:
434:
431:
430:
426:
423:
422:
418:
417:
411:
409:
402:Personal life
399:
397:
393:
389:
385:
384:
379:
375:
371:
366:
364:
360:
359:
354:
350:
349:
344:
340:
339:
334:
333:
328:
327:
322:
321:
316:
315:
310:
309:
304:
303:
298:
297:
292:
291:
286:
285:
280:
276:
275:
269:
267:
266:
261:
257:
253:
249:
248:
243:
238:
236:
235:
230:
229:
224:
223:
218:
217:
212:
211:
206:
205:
200:
199:
194:
193:
188:
184:
180:
179:
174:
173:
168:
167:
162:
161:
156:
155:
149:
147:
146:
141:
136:
134:
133:
128:
118:
109:
107:
103:
102:
97:
93:
89:
80:
79:
74:
71:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
43:(age 82)
33:
29:
22:
19:
747:Taxi drivers
676:. Retrieved
672:Daily Mirror
670:
660:
652:
643:
631:
619:
581:
576:Oh Happy Day
575:
569:
561:
553:
545:
537:
529:
521:
518:(1983) - Dub
513:
505:
497:
489:
481:
473:
465:
457:
449:
441:
435:
427:
419:
408:North London
405:
391:
381:
369:
367:
356:
346:
342:
336:
330:
324:
318:
312:
306:
300:
294:
288:
282:
272:
270:
263:
245:
239:
232:
226:
220:
214:
208:
202:
196:
190:
187:Enoch Powell
183:South Africa
176:
170:
164:
158:
152:
150:
143:
137:
130:
124:
115:
99:
87:
86:
76:
68:Notable work
41:25 July 1942
18:
722:1942 births
697:Oscar James
244:soap opera
231:(1981) and
178:The Goodies
98:soap opera
92:Trinidadian
88:Oscar James
81:(1985–1987)
52:West Indies
25:Oscar James
716:Categories
591:References
547:My Kingdom
443:Naked Evil
374:Doña Croll
353:Tim Burton
343:Angel Cake
332:Dream Team
326:Holby City
281:" (1979),
265:EastEnders
222:Shoestring
112:Early life
101:EastEnders
78:EastEnders
59:Occupation
37:1942-07-25
653:The Stage
491:Black Joy
348:Black Joy
338:Afterlife
192:Gangsters
678:22 April
583:Deadmeat
539:Hardware
483:Pressure
396:BBC Four
380:'s play
335:(2002),
329:(2006),
323:(2006),
317:(2006),
311:(2006),
308:The Bill
299:(2002),
293:(1994),
287:(1996),
284:Casualty
237:(1984).
225:(1980);
219:(1979);
213:(1978);
201:(1976);
195:(1976);
175:(1975);
169:(1975);
163:(1975);
157:(1966);
48:Trinidad
555:If Only
475:Gumshoe
386:at the
302:Doctors
290:Lovejoy
258:in the
166:Quiller
132:Macbeth
274:Minder
216:Minder
198:Angels
121:Career
523:Water
62:Actor
701:IMDb
680:2007
140:Zulu
31:Born
699:at
260:BBC
242:ITV
210:Out
189:);
96:BBC
75:in
718::
669:.
651:,
599:^
410:.
390:.
207:;
148:.
135:.
50:,
39:)
682:.
610:"
35:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.