James MacDonald Biography

Fast Facts

• Studied acting with the Circle in the Square program in New York in the 1980s
• First began acting in plays in junior high when he was 13
• Made his screen acting debut in the 1987 film "Some Kind of Wonderful․"
• Quote: "(On auditioning): "You only got three seconds to prove yourself and you got to be in the zone․ Some people can just turn it on and off․․․I have to freely be in the right mind set․ You have to have this really positive and optimistic view constantly․""
• Best known for his role as the Negotiator in "Phone Booth" and as Clay's Dad in "The Kids Are All Right․"
• Has appeared in more than 200 stage productions during his career, including the Broadway show "Heidi Chronicles․"
• Typically plays characters that are policemen, detectives, FBI agents, and military men
• Wrote and directed the short film "Heavy Lifting" in 2010
• Had never seen the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" before being cast in the film's 2013 remake