Today we’d like to introduce you to James Ian.
Hi James, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m James Ian, and I’m a disabled musician, model, actor, speaker, and writer. I started singing around the age of 2, and I began piano lessons at age 5. Music was always in my blood, and my parents helped me to cultivate that passion. I also discovered that I wanted to be an actor early in my life. So, I found an agent, and I landed a role in a commercial and as a series regular on a TV show at the age of 8. I did take a break from music and acting for a few years to focus on sports. I’m really glad I did take that break because I no longer can play sports due to a physical disability (Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 3) I was diagnosed with at age 14. My disability is progressive, so that time in my life was really precious. After my diagnosis, I really became more serious about music, and I started to use it as a way to express myself and how I was feeling about my identity as a disabled person. I learned how to play more instruments, and I joined a band in college. Music helped me to find myself and to make friends. When I was in law school, my banded started to play bigger and better gigs, and I started to use music to highlight disability and talk about it openly and honestly. After law school, I began acting again, and I also started writing about disability and my experience for various publications. I now have an agent that represents disabled talent in modeling and acting, and I am also a published poet and speaker. I use all of my artistic forms of expression to advocate for the authentic representation of people with disabilities.
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?
It has not been a smooth road. Disabled people are often not considered or cared for by nondisabled people. Societal barriers are constantly being placed in our way, and we are not given the same access or opportunities that nondisabled people are given. There are so few roles for disabled people in all forms of entertainment, and when those roles do come along, they are often given to nondisabled people; it’s shameful. I have personally lost disabled roles to actors who are not disabled. I go so long without auditions because disabled roles are lacking. When I do get an audition, I put so much pressure on myself to book it because roles for disabled people are so scarce. If I do book a role, I then have to worry about whether the shoot is accessible. I have been on countless stages that were not accessible, and I have auditioned at locations that were not accessible. I have almost injured myself trying to access these spaces. To be clear, my disability does not present the obstacles or challenges. Society creates these obstacles, and because of this, it is incredibly hard to be an artist living with a disability.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an actor, musician, model, and writer. As an actor, I was a series regular on a BET series, and I’ve been in commercials for major tech and car brands. I was recently in a musical that was sponsored by Genentech called “Most Likely Not To…,” which highlighted the talents of the Spinal Muscular Atrophy and larger disability community. Musically, I am known for two songs that elevate disability visibility (“SPACES,” (which was also sponsored by Genentech) and “Lift Me Up”). I’ve modeled for JC Penney, Fruit of the Loom, and other major brands. I’ll also be walking for Kyle Denman in LAFW 2024. As a writer, I’ve written for various publications, and I also have a poem about the disability experience published in “The Routledge International Handbook of Disability Human Rights Hierarchies.” I use various art forms to advocate for the authentication representation of people with disabilities in media. What makes me most proud is that I actively try to shine a light on my disability in all of my work. What sets me apart from others is that there is only one me on the planet.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that everyone needs help and that no one makes it alone. In the past, it was really hard for me to ask for help, and learning this lesson has made asking for help easier, which has made life easier.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5oOFQ8WI7kQxsyTw2gkC8b?si=8xHgrP2TRniYWbGdnqgnNQ
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesianmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ianajthomas
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLyRpDn9bTo
Image Credits
Elliston Lutz
