Born in
Paisley, Scotland, James trained to be a
lawyer, before being spotted by a professional director while performing in
amateur dramatics. A handful of James' television performances have survived, but many of were amongst those
discarded by UK broadcasters throughout the 1960s and 70s. One of his most remembered roles was in
Doctor Who, playing the character Lesterson in the 1966 serial
The Power of the Daleks. These six
missing episodes now only exist as still photographs and audio recordings, although the serial was recreated as an animation in 2016. He would later return to the show in the serial
The Masque of Mandragora. ==Marriage==