Born James Rodriguez on April 4 1976, James Roday studied theatre at New York University. His stage credits include The Three Sisters, Twelfth Night, Severity’s Mistress, and Sexual Perversity in Chicago. He also appeared in the silver screen, in shows such as Miss Match.
Shawn Spencer is played by James Roday on USA channel’s drama-comedy series Psych. He is endowed with eidetic memory, which he used to solve crimes while telling people that he is a psychic. Roday and his best friend Gus created a detective agency utilizing his mental capabilities. His father Henry encouraged him to develop his memory and powers of observation.
-He has visited actual psychics in order to know what they experience when they get psychic messages in order to be able to make his character Shawn's psychic 'visions' more believable.
-James has said he would enjoy a crossover episode with the other USA detective series Monk.
-James and his on-screen best friend Dule Hill like to hide the crew's equipment and organize poker nights for their co-workers on Psych. James has said that the two laugh sometimes laugh so hard on set that they ruin takes.
SATELLITE AWARDS
2006: Best Actor in a Series -Psych- [Nominated]
PEOPLE MAGAZINE'S
2007: #62 from "100 Most Beautiful People"
NCLR ALMA AWARDS
2008: Outstanding Actor In a Drama Television Series -Psych-
1999. Coming Soon / Ryan Caulfield: Year One
2000. Believe / Get Real
2001. Thank Heaven / First Years
2002. Repli-Kate / Providence / Showtime
2003. Rolling Kansas / Miss Match
2005. Don't Come Knocking / The Dukes of Hazzard
2006. Beerfest
2006. Psych
2008. Fear Itself - In Sickness and in Health
-Of course there are charlatans, but I definitely believe there are people with real psychic abilities.
-I don't think Gus is a sidekick at all. Without him, Shawn can't do what he does. He's like an encyclopedia of useless knowledge,that oddly becomes useful every week. It's that Gus thing. With each episode, we're learning about another kind of subculture that Gus is into.
(When asked if conning comes natural to him like it does to his character Shawn)
-I'm going to have to say no. I try to live my life with the "honesty is the best policy" philosophy.