Nicholas James (actor)

Nicholas James (born Nicholas James Muscarella and additionally variously credited as Nick James or Nicholas J. Muscarella) is an American actor. James is known for his recurring role (beginning in 2016) as Officer Justin Lewis in the Tyler Perry-created OWN series The Haves and the Have Nots (Season 3 – Season 5, in 63 episodes as of July 2018) as well as for appearances in Prom Night (2008) and NCIS: New Orleans (2014). His earliest credited film appearance was in Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds in 2006.^[1]

Additionally, James has appeared in television commercials for Grupo Modelo and Walmart.^[2] Outside of acting, James has also worked as a model.^[3] His net worth is quoted as being $1.3 million.^[4]

Early career

Nicholas James's initial interest in performing was directed at comedic rather than dramatic roles, particularly sketch comedy in the style of Saturday Night Live.^[5] In Los Angeles, he studied acting under the tutelage of various renowned figures, including legendary acting coach Vincent Chase (for whom the eponymous fictional character on the TV series Entourage was named).^[6][7] Actor Shia LaBeouf was among his classmates.^[8] Later, he attended classes at Upright Citizen's Brigade, thus returning to his earlier interest in improvisational and sketch comedy.^[9]

James dropped his surname to form his stage name because, in his own words, “I don’t look too Italian and people trip over that name all the time.”^[10] His original surname Muscarella has however appeared as part of one of three variations of his name in film and television credits.

Nature of portrayed characters

James's Haves and Have Nots character Officer Justin Lewis has been described as being in a "toxic and codependent" relationship with his series love interest Jeffrey Harrington, according to Gavin Houston, who plays that character.^[11] As a heterosexual actor portraying a homosexual character (also the case in his debut film Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds),^[12] James falls within an area of concern known as "gay-for-pay," which asserts that LGBT characters should preferably be portrayed by actors of similar sexual orientation.

Personal life

Nicholas James is originally from Greenville, Pennsylvania, the son of Gregory and Vicki Muscarella; he has an older brother named Michael. He attended Reynolds Junior – Senior High School, and later Penn State Behrend College, studying management and marketing before leaving for Hollywood, where he arrived with just $200 and did bottle service at a bar while pursuing acting.^[13] He currently resides in Los Angeles.

James is vocal on political issues via Twitter; as well, he maintains an Instagram account. His interests include the extreme sports skydiving and surfing as well as standup paddleboarding, snorkelling, hiking, animals and exotic teas.^[14][15][16]

Since 2016, James has been in a relationship with his Haves and the Have Nots co-star Tika Sumpter. He is reported to be two years her junior, making him 36 in 2018.^[17] James's paternity was kept secret by Sumpter amid press speculation while she was pregnant with their child.^[18] Their daughter, Ella-Loren, was born October 8, 2016.^[19][20]

Filmography

References

External links

• Nicholas James on IMDb
• Nicholas James on Twitter