Meet James Kelley | Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Kelley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“Anyone can Cook” Remy the Rat from Ratatouille.

I think that movie sums up my mentality towards everything in life better than anything else. Because its true.

Remy spends the whole movie running from Skinner (the crazy and cruel chef) just so he can escape for long enough to do the thing he loves most; cook.

And when he gets away from him he cooks something incredible.

I think in life there are lots of Chef Skinners, its important to know who they are and how to get away from them, because the minute you do, you can do anything!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned along the way is the importance of teamwork. Which sounds silly because thats something we are taught from a really young age.

But I think it gets lost as you start working in a creative industry, which still confuses me to this day. You see a lot of people that think it’s just them, or that they achieved everything on their own, and to me thats pretty hard to relate to.

Sure you have to be independent, but with anything, when you can ask for help or advice you can get a new perspective on things. And when you get enough people around you who are supportive, it becomes a real team. And thats irreplaceable.

When I look back on a film that went well, I always think about the team I had around me.

In terms of teamwork, one of the things i’m most proud of is the relationship we’ve been able to build with The Upper Path Recovery Center through SQUALL. After viewing it for the first time, the two brothers who run the recovery center asked if they could show the film to their clients. Emmi, the director and writer of Squall, and I were both beyond thrilled.

Fast forward a little bit, the clinicians at the rehab center have been using the film as a supplement for group therapy sessions. Which has been super meaningful for the clients, and I couldn’t be happier about that, that they can take something from the film. Im going to include a message two of the clients sent me below.

“That movie had me hooked from start to finish, but let me tell you my favorite scene was when them brothers went fishing. It just hit different seeing your brother after everything you put him through. We take for granted how much we can bond over the simple the simple things. Positivity is taken for granted there’s mad days” Name omitted for privacy

“That just hit me like a ton of bricks. It felt raw and real, like the filmmakers done peeked right into my life. Seeing the characters struggle and finally finding a form of peace, it hit me deep. It’s like a bolt of lightning, sparking up my confidence to stay clean and fix things. Heading back home, it’s scary as hell. Same plugs still there, waiting for you.  That movie? It’s like a map showing me the way through this crazy journey of recovery. It was a good reminder for me face my fears and make amends. ” Name omitted for privacy

Now that I’ve read their messages, I think about both these people all the time, like we’re close friends. I of course have never met them, so its a little strange, but I imagine their day, what its like, who they are, what they look like, and it makes me feel proud to be their friends.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was gonna visit Santa Monica, I would be pretty excited to say the least. A perfect weekend would be:

Friday night : Sawtelle Blvd for Killer Noodle or Tasty Noodle, both are two of my favorite restaurants in Sawtelle, and you can not beat that area.

Its so much fun and the sounds of street musicians filling the air is the best. Then Somi Somi for ice cream for sure. Nothing better.

Saturday: Get up, pack the car; surfboard, wetsuits, and some snacks. Drive up to Malibu, way up into Malibu, way further than you think, and surf in the morning.

Some of those beaches are the best beaches in the US. The water is so clean, and its so much fun to be up there at the beach. Maybe go for a hike if we have energy.

After that, head back to Reel INN or Cholada THAI on PCH, two of my favorite restaurants headed back towards Santa Monica, if you haven’t been to the Reel Inn and had the captains platter on the back porch you’re missing out. Its my favorite seafood restaurant in the area

Get back to Santa Monica and then for dinner hit Jamesons in Venice, their food is really good, and heavy handed for ice cream afterwards.

Sunday: Get on the Ebikes and hop on the oceanfront boardwalk, ride all the way past Marina Del Rey, stop at Thomas Chillicheeseburgers en route, and hang out at the beach down that way.

To me thats the perfect weekend!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
For me, everything I know how to do, I learned from my family.

When my brothers and I were kids, we could do anything, be whatever we wanted, dream about anything, and invent anything we could come up with. That time running around in the backyard, is where I learned so much of everything I have with me.

We would go outside and run around all day with our best friends on the street. Inventing games, building bike jumps and pathways, pretending, dreaming, and playing. We would stay out until dinner time, and then we would come home, eat dinner together, the whole family. After dinner we would go back outside to play games at night. I still remember summertime as a kid, when everyday was one incredible adventure flowing into another.

Our parents created such a perfect space for us, in every way shape or form, and I’m forever grateful for those times.

Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5928079/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOUjsIDnivw

Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5928079/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Image Credits
Paul Smith
Creedmoria Productions
Squall Productions