Biographie
Chris Jai Alex hails from Lansing, Michigan, and was born into a musical environment. His mother, Gloria Sanford, had long aspired to be an artist, though she only achieved minor success and an appearance on Star Search before remaining undiscovered. Over time, she focused her dreams on her sons, hoping to fulfill a nearly two-generation-old ambition. Chris Jai demonstrated creative talent early on, teaching himself piano, guitar, and MIDI music production. He went on to produce and perform with several groups, the most notable being Mirage. Mirage enjoyed local success, performing at various venues, including a show with Boys II Men’s Wanya Morris. Sadly, Gloria passed away shortly before Mirage formed and never witnessed the group’s achievements.
After finishing high school, Chris Jai moved to New York to pursue music production, studying under the head director of membership at ASCAP and the road manager for Def Jam artist CASE. When that path didn’t pan out, he returned to Michigan, where he and his brother Seyque founded the indie record label Phineqx Entertainment (PE).
Phineqx Entertainment remains the most successful record label in Lansing’s history. Its first release, "PE 2003," sold over 4,000 copies, and various PE mixtapes have collectively sold more than 47,000 copies. Alongside other Phineqx members, Chris Jai later relocated to Los Angeles, California, where they continue producing music that resonates underground on an international scale. A dedicated hobbyist, he also taught himself Japanese.
Inspired by the film X2: X-Men United (2003), Chris Jai decided to move to LA in hopes of making a breakthrough. He and four friends packed their belongings into two cars and drove 72 hours to California, where they lived in a single-room apartment on Hollywood Boulevard for a year. Eventually, Chris moved out with Sachiko Ishida.
Soon after arriving in LA, he began informal martial arts training at LA Valley College. There, he was introduced to martial arts acting and stunts, training alongside world-class athletes including Wayne Daglish, a fellow filmmaker and frequent collaborator. He also gained insights and friendships with top Hollywood stuntmen. Eventually, he trained at the prestigious 8711 studio under Chad Stahelski, whose team contributed to films like The Matrix series, 300 (2006), and V for Vendetta (2005), among other major Hollywood blockbusters.
Chris Jai later signed with the Osbrink Agency for voice-over work and continues to lend his voice to video games and animation, also animating characters through motion capture technology. He is constantly refining his skills, currently learning three additional languages simultaneously. He has completed two feature-length scripts, which are currently being pitched. He continues to act, produce, and score his own films as well as collaborate on various external projects.
