
Adam James was born on 9 September 1972. Adam trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 1996. He worked extensively in both TV and Theatre early on in his career, receiving a Best Newcomer nomination at the M.E.N awards for his work at the Royal Exchange and then coming to prominence in 2001 in 'Band of Brothers'.
This followed a string of notable guest leads in such popular shows as Extras, Ashes to Ashes, Hustle, Dr. Who and Foyles War. In 2010 he performed in New York in 'The Pride' along side Ben Whishaw and Andrea Riseborough for which he won the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Actor in a Featured Role and also received the Drama Desk Nomination.
He would return in 2013, this time Off Broadway with the critically acclaimed and Olivier Award winning play "Bull", only to return to Broadway once more in 2016 with the Olivier and Critics Circle award winning play "King Charles III" in which Adam played the Prime Minister, and later received the Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 2015, the same year in which he appeared in another Mike Bartlett hit "Dr.Foster", he married the former actress Victoria Shalet. Their first child was born in September 2016, and Adam has an adult daughter from a previous relationship. Adam then continued his collaboration with Mike Bartlett by filming both the much anticipated second series of Dr.Foster alongside a TV film version of King Charles III for BBC2.
He has since returned to the stage and London's West End in the Olivier Award Winning "Girl From The North Country" at the Noel Coward Theatre and the hugely critically acclaimed "Consent" having transferred with it from the National Theatre. More recently he reunited with Rupert Goold for the world premiere of Anne Washburn's new play "Shipwreck" at the Almeida Theatre.
His most recent Television work includes Julian Fellowes' new period drama "Belgravia" for ITV and Epix in the US (produced by Carnival the team behind Downtown Abbey) and also the hugely successful and critically acclaimed 12 part series "I May Destroy You" for the BBC and HBO, written, performed, produced an co-directed by Michaela Coel.

Wicked
Galinda's Popsicle
2024

The Day of the Jackal
Jeremy Whitelock · (4 episodes)
2024

We Live in Time
Simon Maxson
2024

Mr Bates vs The Post Office
Patrick Green QC · (4 episodes)
2024

The Buccaneers
Colonel St. George · (4 episodes)
2023

Out of the Grey
Henry
2023

The Long Shadow
Desmond Wilcox · (1 episode)
2023

The Penitent - A Rational Man
2023

Choked Up
Robert West
2023

Treason
Patrick Hamilton · (4 episodes)
2022

The Suspect
Dr. Gerald 'Jack' Owens · (5 episodes)
2022

Hotel Portofino
Jack Turner · (1 episode)
2022

Vigil
Lt Commander Mark Prentice · (6 episodes)
2021

Life
Neil Baker · (3 episodes)
2020

I May Destroy You
Julian · (4 episodes)
2020

Belgravia
John Bellasis · (6 episodes)
2020

The Kill Team
Hardin
2019

Hunter Killer
Captain Forbes
2018

Johnny English Strikes Again
Pegasus
2018

You
Elliot Tannenberg · (2 episodes)
2018

Celebrity Catchphrase
(1 episode)
2018

Home from Home
Robert Dillon · (6 episodes)
2018

Eric, Ernie and Me
Ernest Maxin
2017

King Charles III
Prime Minister Tristram Evans
2017

National Theatre Live: Consent
Jake
2017

1066: A Year to Conquer England
Harold Godwinson
2017

1066: A Year to Conquer England
Harold Godwinson · (3 episodes)
2017

Catherine Tate's Nan
Charles Wilmott · (1 episode)
2015

A Little Chaos
Monsieur De Barra
2015

The Game
George · (1 episode)
2014

Grantchester
James Heath · (1 episode)
2014

The Crimson Field
Col Charles Purbright · (6 episodes)
2014

Thicker Than Water
Gavin Leonard · (1 episode)
2014

Churchill's First World War
Winston Churchill
2013

Family Tree
Ronnie Chadwick · (1 episode)
2013

Endeavour
Kent Finn · (1 episode)
2013

Death in Paradise
Rick Mayhew · (1 episode)
2011

Much Ado About Nothing
Don Pedro
2011

Law & Order: LA
Max Steinberg · (1 episode)
2010

Vexed
Charlie Brewer · (1 episode)
2010

Sleep With Me
MacDara
2009

The Execution of Gary Glitter
John Carter QC
2009

Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead
DI McMillan
2009

Last Chance Harvey
Josh Hillman
2008

Consuming Passion
Mick
2008

Wired
Simon · (3 episodes)
2008

Harley Street
(1 episode)
2008

Bonekickers
(1 episode)
2008

Ashes to Ashes
Edward Markham · (1 episode)
2008
Sold
(1 episode)
2007

The Mother of Tears
Michael Pierce
2007

Secret Diary of a Call Girl
Matt · (2 episodes)
2007

Lewis
Ethan Croft · (1 episode)
2007

The Amazing Mrs Pritchard
Mark McCaffrey · (1 episode)
2006

Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire
Titus · (1 episode)
2006

Shiny Shiny Bright New Hole in My Heart
Rupert
2006

Hotel Babylon
(2 episodes)
2006

Love Soup
(1 episode)
2005

Meucci - L'italiano che inventò il telefono
William Ryder · (2 episodes)
2005
England Expects
Daniel
2004

Hustle
Carlton Wood · (2 episodes)
2004

Celebrity Mastermind
Self - Contestant · (1 episode)
2003
Reversals
Dr. Glen Morrow
2003

Three Blind Mice
1st Exec (uncredited)
2003

Foyle's War
Major Wesker · (1 episode)
2002

The Lost Battalion
Capt. Nelson Holderman
2001

Band of Brothers
Cleveland O. Petty · (2 episodes)
2001

Waking the Dead
Michael Leonard · (2 episodes)
2001

Murder on the Orient Express
William MacQueen
2001

As If
Richard · (1 episode)
2001

Sharpe: The Legend
Carline
1997

Cold Lazarus
(1 episode)
1996

Sharpe's Regiment
Captain Carline
1996

Sharpe
Cpt. Philip Carline · (1 episode)
1993