Stephen James is a voice-actor in every sense of the word: from voicing commercials and video narration, to performing both fiction and non-fiction audio-book narrations, to performing live radio drama on stage - Stephen has performed in just about every genre of voice acting.

 

He even dedicated his professional expertise as a non-paid CEO of The National Voice Talent Foundation for over 12 years to provide affordable education and opportunities to performers and to support the community.

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Stephen James, born in 1955 and fully named Stephen James Smith, embarked on his first voice-over project in 1976 for an industrial video. He has since evolved into a versatile and prolific voice-over actor, an award-winning coach, and has established himself as an accomplished actor, director, and agent.​​

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Stephen hails from Birmingham, England, and emigrated to the USA in 1997. He is currently based in Ocala, FL, where he has established a professional studio and office. Stephen offers voice-over coaching and demo production services to students from throughout Florida, across North America, and internationally.​

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BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE

Stephen managed his own PR firm for more than a decade, marking the peak of his career in Public Relations and Marketing Communications. With intermittent voice-over work since the mid-70s, he chose to focus on his performance career in 1999. He emerged as a prominent figure in The Talent Pool in Las Vegas and served actively on the board of Media Guilds International.

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Boasting more than 45 years of experience in training professionals and engaging in voice-over acting and production, Stephen has earned recognition as an award-winning coach. His expertise benefits not only voice actors and stage actors but also corporate speakers. In addition to creating demos, he takes on roles in directing and producing voice projects and films. Furthermore, he has mentored American actors in voice techniques and offers specialized consultancy to authors and film producers, particularly in the nuances of "British-English" usage.

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Stephen has contributed to various voice productions, notably the annual fundraiser for New Orleans and the surrounding region. This event features a staged radio play of the classic film "It's a Wonderful Life," where Stephen has served as producer, director, and voice actor, portraying Clarence and Henry Potter, since 2009. The event has successfully raised thousands of dollars for non-profit organizations.

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Stephen also served as the innovator, producer, and host of the Annual NVT Hollywood South Awards®, an event organized by the NOLA Voice Talent Foundation to honor individual talent and dedication within the movie, theater, broadcasting, and voice-over industries in the Hollywood South region.

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In 2010, Stephen established NOVA: The New Orleans Voice Agency, which is considered the sole specialist voice talent agency in New Orleans, representing talent not just from Mississippi and Louisiana—often referred to as Hollywood South—but from across the USA. By 2012, Stephen had initiated Stephen James Media Productions, focusing on producing audiobooks and voice-over demos, in addition to directing and producing radio plays, stage shows, and films.​

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Stephen has been chosen as a judge for the annual Voice Arts Awards by the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SoVAS) every year since 2018.​​

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Below: Stephen James on stage as Clarence in a live radio-play production of "It's a Wonderful Life" presented by The NOLA Voice Talent Foundation as an annual charity fundraiser in support of the community.