James Earley broke into the film and television industry in 1983, working behind the scenes as a set grip. He spent two and a half years doing rock videos, then moved on to pilots, mini-series, and eventually feature films.
In the early 90s, James started studying acting again with acting coaches Frederick Combs (at the L.A. Actors Lab) and Leigh Kilton-Smith (scene study) in Los Angeles. Moving back to the East Coast in 2003 to pursue acting full time, James studied Meisner Technique with Joanna Beckson in New York City.