Biografía
Veteran theater actor James Sutorius has performed with some of the country's most prestigious regional and repertory companies, including California's Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Center Theatre Group, Huntington Hartford, South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse, Lincoln Center, Yale Repertory, Seattle Repertory, Long Wharf Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, Asolo State Theatre, Arizona Repertory, and Cherry Lane Theatre. Although he has appeared in numerous TV and film roles over a span of three decades, his true passion has always been theater. Most recently, he appeared on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre in Aaron Sorkin's play "The Farnsworth Invention," directed by Des McAnuff and produced by Steven Spielberg. In 2007, he received two San Diego Theatre Critics Awards for his memorable portrayal of George in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" and for multiple supporting roles in John Strand's play "Lincolnesque." Earlier, he was chosen to co-star in Arthur Laurents' "2 Lives" at the George Street Playhouse in New York and in Charles L. Mee Jr.'s "A Perfect Wedding" at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles.
Born in Ohio and raised in Wheaton, Illinois, James is the youngest of three sons of an advertising executive and a homemaker. He attended the same Wheaton high school as John Belushi and Bob Woodward and was very active in sports. However, a leading role in a school production of "The Desperate Hours" changed his career goals. While studying at Wesleyan University in Illinois, James had already played his first of three Hamlets by the time he earned his BFA. He then trained for two years at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Michigan before moving to New York City to pursue his career.
He quickly found success and did not need to support himself by waiting tables or working in hotels. His rich, classically trained voice was ideal for voiceover work, and he landed a 17-year role as the voice of Ragu Spaghetti Sauce, helping create the national catchphrase "Now, THAT'S Italian!" He continues to do voiceover work for brands like Coca-Cola and Wrangler Jeans, as well as lending his distinctive voice to audiobooks and short story anthologies.
James made a notable Broadway debut in 1973 with "The Changing Room," where his first entrance involved stripping off all his clothes as a rugby player—a moment he found liberating rather than frightening. Two years later, he portrayed Laertes at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre opposite Sam Waterston’s Hamlet, sharing the stage with rising stars such as Jane Alexander, Mandy Patinkin, George Hearn, and John Heard. In 1978, he played the son of Cameron Mitchell and Jan Sterling in "The November People" at the Billy Rose Theatre.
In the mid-1970s, James transitioned to television. With his striking looks, he was cast in various professional and tough-guy roles in dramas. After guest appearances on shows like "Cannon" and "Kojak," he became a series regular supporting Bob Crane on the short-lived sitcom The Bob Crane Show (1975). His big break came with the starring role of investigative reporter Mike Andros in the one-season series The Andros Targets (1977), filmed on New York City streets. This success led him to move to Los Angeles. He appeared in several notable TV movies, including A Death in Canaan (1978), A Question of Love (1978), Skokie (1981), Space (1985), and On Wings of Eagles (1986), and guest-starred on popular series such as "St. Elsewhere," "Family Ties," "21 Jump Street," "Murder, She Wrote," "L.A. Law," "The X Files," and "Judging Amy." He also had recurring roles on shows like "Dynasty." His film work includes I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can (1982), starring Jill Clayburgh, and Windy City (1984), featuring John Shea and Kate Capshaw.
Despite his screen work, it is his classical and contemporary theater roles that have sustained his career. He has performed multiple times as Hamlet and Macbeth, as well as John Proctor in "The Crucible," Trigorin in "The Seagull," Astrov in "Uncle Vanya," Valmont in "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," McMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," Sir Thomas More in "A Man for All Seasons," Dick Dudgeon in "The Devil's Disciple," and Marchbanks in "Candida." A notable highlight was his successful Broadway return in 1992, when he replaced Tony Shalhoub as Charlie in the Tony Award-winning play "Conversations with My Father," starring opposite Judd Hirsch.
