Stephen James
Professional voice actor, award-winning voice & dialect coach, director, producer, agent

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 - a non-profit he founded in 2009 and operated for 12 years to provide affordable education and opportunities to performers and to support the community.

English-born Stephen James (full name Stephen James Smith) was involved with his first-ever voice-over in 1976 for an industrial video and has since developed as a versatile and prolific voice-over actor, award-winning coach, actor, director, and agent.

Stephen ran his own PR firm from 1987 to 2014 and, having been involved with occasional voice-over since the mid-70s, he decided to concentrate on his performing career in 1999, when he became a leading light in The Talent Pool in Las Vegas, as well as being an active member of the board of Media Guilds International.

With over 40 years' experience of training professionals and working in voice-over acting and production, Stephen has become an award-winning coach, benefiting voice actors and actors alike, as well as corporate presenters. He also produces demos as well as directing and producing voice and other productions, including movies. He has also coached American actors in voice and, as a writer, he provides occasional consultancy to authors and movie producers, in particular, and by providing advice and guidance on "British-English" usage.

Stephen James has developed a high reputation as an active member of the voice-over and performing community both along the gulf coast and nationwide. He was Founder and Chief Executive of The NOLA Voice Talent Foundation - a 501(c)3 non-profit organization for which he volunteered his expertise and much of his time - a non-profit organization providing educational resources for performers, actors and voice talent, and to encourage the use our talents in support of the community. Stephen recently formed the Central Florida MeetUp Group to meet the same requirements both throughout Florida and across the USA.

Stephen has also worked on a number of voice productions, including the annual fundraiser/benefit for New Orleans and region - a radio-play on stage of the classic movie It's a Wonderful Life for which he has been producer, director, and voice actor (as Clarence - pictured above - and as Henry Potter) since its inception in 2009, and which has raised thousands of dollars for non-profits. www.WonderfulLifeNOLA.com

Stephen was also the innovator, producer, and presenter of the Annual NVT Hollywood South Awards®, hosted by The NOLA Voice Talent Foundation to recognize individual talent and commitment to the movie, theater, broadcasting, and voice-over industries in Hollywood South and region.

In 2010, Stephen founded NOVA:The New Orleans Voice Agency, believed to be the only specialist voice talent agency in New Orleans, and representing talent specifically who are resident in Mississippi and Louisiana, the region known as Hollywood South. In 2012, Stephen launched what is now Stephen James Media Productions producing audio-books and voice-over demos as well as directing and producing radio-plays, stage performances, and movies. In January 2019 Stephen was appointed Unit Production Manager (UPM) at Roday Productions, Baton Rouge, to manage all the company's movie productions.

Stephen has also been selected as a judge for the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 annual Voice Arts Awards organized by SoVAS (Society of Voice Arts and Sciences).