Today we’d like to introduce you to James Pratt.
Hi James, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in Sydney, Australia, mainly interested in surfing competitions and sports during my early years until after high school when I found myself in a remote country town with nothing much around except wheatfields. While there, I made a $200 short film called ‘New York Model Agent,’ which was selected for the NBC Universal Shorts Film Festival in California. This propelled my journey as NBC expressed interest in acquiring a feature version of the short. From that point on, my acting and auctioneering career started to take off. I refined my acting skills by studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and have since been incredibly fortunate to work alongside several Academy Award winners and have been fortunate enough to receive some prestigious awards along the way, such as Best Actor at the Beyond Hollywood Int’l Film Festival and Australia’s Top 5 under 35.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I believe in the adage that bigger obstacles lead to greater triumphs. I’ve learned to embrace challenges because, looking back, my most significant victories have often followed the most daunting challenges. Moving overseas while on a tight deadline was a great test of patience for me. Another challenge was directing the feature film Malibu Crush during COVID, with all the restrictions and constant changes many productions just shut down and waited it out. The main thing I learnt was perseverance equals reward as when we finished the film, there were fewer films completed that year and distributors needed content
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My passion is acting and directing, and my day job is VP of Development for Mogul Productions, making feature films. Before this, I was a four-time Australian REB Auctioneer of the Year Winner in Australia. Starting out in remote wheat fields in outback Australia to living in Beverly Hills has given me a tremendous appreciation for life and the opportunities I have had.
I find immense fulfilment in supporting other people in the industry and hearing and sharing great stories. On the business side, some of my awards and accolades include Best Actor at the 2022 LA Film Awards, Best Presenter at the 2021 iHollywood Film Festival, and Best Director at the 2022 Cannes Film Awards.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory has to be surfing until dark and spending time with my border collie dog, Mandy, and tabby cat, Rocky. These carefree moments remind me of the beauty in life’s simplest pleasures and away from all the superficial aspects of Hollywood.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3680341/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/james_pratt7/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamespratt7
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/james_pratt7
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesPrattOfficial
- Other: www.jamesprattauctions.com
Image Credits
Main photo and photo 5 (Grey Suit) Photographer – Trynh Kraj
