Jamaican-born actor Marcos James, best known for his role as White Rat in HBO’s Emmy Award-winning series, Game of Thrones (GOT), has been expanding his career in Hollywood.
The talent was recently cast in the Lifetime Movie Network drama movie series, Keeping up with the Joneses: The Wrong Family, executive produced by Vivica Fox and narrated by Kandi Burruss from Real Housewives of Atlanta. But before his on-screen career took off internationally, James was honing his craft as part of some of Jamaica’s premier performing arts institutions. A former member of Cathy Levy’s Little People and Teen Players Club, the Ashe Performing Arts Ensemble and L’Acadco Dance Company, Jones admits that it was his foundational training in Jamaica that groomed him for the international stage.
“I was always interested in acting because I acted in school plays and stuff, but when I joined Cathy Levy’s production, I expanded into singing and dancing. After that of course, there was Ashe and then L’Acadco with L’Antoinette Stines. Those organisations were key factors in my development as an artist [and] as a complete artist,” he told The Sunday Gleaner. James left the island after his time at the L’Acadco Dance Company and attended university, where he pursued his master’s degree.
“I migrated right after L’Acadco. I went to the United Kingdom, did my master’s in film production at the University of Bristol and then I went and auditioned for the Lion King (on Broadway). In the Lion King, you really do everything — sing, dance, act and that experience was a revelation that the training that I got in Jamaica was top notch. It was strong enough for me to leverage my career on a professional level, and I think that’s something that we should be very proud of in Jamaica.”
He said his success is largely due to the training he gained in Jamaica. “My success so far is not just about me; it’s about the possibilities that existed because of what I gained through training in Jamaica. Pretty much everything I booked early on in my career was because of my training at home,” said James, noting that even though he was up against great talent overseas, his local training prepared him for the challenge. “I was up against some phenomenal international talent, and I was on the same level with them. The Lion King was the moment I realised I could actually have a career in the performing arts on an international level, and that was all because of everything I gained in Jamaica,” he said.
James’ voice oozed gratitude as he spoke about the impact his roots had on his career. Describing the performing arts programme in Jamaica as “pure gold”, the actor said he wants his successes to highlight that Jamaica is capable of producing world-class talent in the performing arts. “Jamaica is a blessed country full of immensely talented people and not just in sports or music, but acting and dance too. I wouldn’t be where I am if not for the groundwork done in Jamaica, and that’s why every chance I get, I highlight the institutions that had a hand in my success,” he said.
Speaking of success, James says he’s been steadily climbing that ladder. He admits that while Game of Thrones has been his most notable work to date, before that, he was the lead actor in Sadler Wells’ The Mahabharata. He considers himself blessed to be able to move up to the next level with each project.
“ Game of Thrones no doubt sent me to international levels. It was one of those productions that was loved across the world. It catapulted my career to the next level and allowed me to get other roles. The thing about GOT is that it was a natural expansion of the path that I was on. It was one of those roles that was life-changing. It’s like, one day you’re career is going well, but the next day everything really kinda just kicks in,” he shared. James said GOT opened a number of doors. “ GOT is really what has provided me with the opportunity to audition for all the major casting directors here in Los Angeles because what they do is look at your résumé to see what you have done and when they recognise that character, it’s always a plus,” he said.
The actor said although his role was not considered a major one, the character made such an impact that people still recognise him from the show. “People actually do remember my character, White Rat. I died, but that solo life had an impact on the entire show so much so that to this day, I still get random people come up to me saying they recognise me from the series. It was one of those funny roles that was just the right placement at the right time,” he said, pointing out that GOT also played a part in him landing his current role as William in Keeping up with the Joneses. “They (the show’s producers) went through the actors, and it was obvious they did their research because they seemed to know a lot about my career and what I’ve been up to. Vivica Fox told me that once she saw my face, she knew I was perfect for the role,” he said.
Keeping up with the Joneses premièred last Thursday on Lifetime Movie Network and is set to air every Thursday on the platform. The storyline follows a wealthy family from the Pacific Hills whose world is turned upside down following the death of the family patriarch, Theodore Jones. The deceased’s wife, Robin, played by Fox, takes over the family business, but someone is gunning for them all, threatening to destroy everything they’ve built, and the family must keep their legacy alive.
James said based on the expectations around the movie series, he’s hoping his involvement will open more doors, especially as he looks towards producing work of his own in the future. “As far as expectations go, it’s about momentum and riding a wave. The project will provide great visibility internationally, and through this film, I am looking to leverage my independent projects because expansion is key for me,” he said.
As for the future, James is also working on a drama. “I am working on a drama film that’s 70 per cent complete. I won’t give away too much, but it is definitely going to be something enjoyable. I already have a producer for the film, an Emmy Award-winning producer who is guiding me and giving me advice. This project feels like a natural progression; it’s not forced. I studied film production, and so I am just tying in all my skill sets,” he said.
