American actor John James was born on April 18, 1956 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The son of popular radio broadcaster Herb Oscar Anderson, who present radio shows in New York during the heyday of the top 40 format, he is a veteran of soap operas. His acting debut came in 1976, when he joined the cast of the daytime drama Search for Tomorrow. After occasional guest roles in shows like Fantasy Island and The Love Boat, he joined the cast of the prime time serial Dynasty, where he became most known.
James originated the role of Jeff Colby, the nephew and prot?g? of oil magnate Cecil Colby (Lloyd Bochner) and husband of Fallon Carrington (originally Pamela Sue Martin, and later Emma Samms). He’s been in love with her all his life, but the two’s marriage proves to be rocky, as she only did so as part of a deal to save her father (John Forsythe). James played the role since the show’s premiere in 1981, and was on and off the show from 1985 until the series’ conclusion in 1991. He also appeared in the spin-off series The Colbys, which was cancelled after two seasons because of disappointing ratings.
After other guest roles and film roles, he returned to the daytime soap opera, joining the cast of As the World Turns in 2003 to play the role of Dr. Rick Decker. He left the show a year later. In 2006, he joined another daytime soap, All My Children. He played the role of Jeff Martin, a doctor who had a tumultuous relationship with Erica Kane (Susan Lucci). His son is Josh Madden (Colin Egglesfield), who Erica supposedly aborted in a landmark storyline for the soap, only for the story to be changed in 2005. James left the show in 2007, and returned the following year to As the World Turns, reprising the role he played earlier.