James carpenter actor biography example

James Carpenter has been holding court on Bay Area stages from Cal Shakes to San Jose Rep for almost 30 years. The consummate actor has reigned supreme in Shakespearean roles from “Richard III” and “Henry V” to “Titus Andronicus.” His cavalcade of performances has earned him the mantle of Bay Area theater royalty.

“He’s one of the finest American actors anywhere,” says Carey Perloff, artistic director at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater.

“When I think back to the gallery of portraits he has created over the years from his ‘Master Builder’ at Aurora to his beaten-down salesman in ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ at ACT, I feel incredibly grateful that he has chosen to make the Bay Area his home.”

A quick study

Hailed as a local treasure, the 60-year-old thespian brings unmistakable intelligence and forcefulness to every role, but also seems to disappear into the part so that he can ho