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Lee James

@hi_lee_james

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📍 Los Angeles, CA
🎭 Actor | SAG-AFTRA
📧 @aqua.talent | @trueartistsagency
🏃🏻‍♂️ Group Fitness @otfmarvista

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🎉🧡 HAPPY COACH APPRECIATION MONTH! 🧡🎉

The heart of every workout? Our Coaches! 🔥💪

This month, we’re celebrating the incredible coaches who bring the energy, encouragement, expertise, and just the right amount of push to every class at OTF Mar Vista. 🧡

From those “you’ve got this!” moments to the last all-out, you make every workout stronger, more fun, and more meaningful. 🙌

🧡 Meet the amazing Coaches behind OTF Mar Vista! 🧡

We’re beyond grateful for everything you bring to our studio and our community. We’re so lucky to have you—and we hope you feel ALL the love this month! 🥳🧡

#otf #otfmarvista #otfcoaches

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Coming back to LA, one of the things I really wanted was to reconnect with community and actually immerse myself in it... And my first ever @bestindragshow was such a beautiful way to do just that!! 💅🏾

I had SOOOOO much fun with these girls, made some beautiful new connections, got to share the stage with my good Judy @b.shields.la , meet @comiclonilove & the insanely talented #daledickey AND they even let your girl have a solo!

But beyond all the wigs, heels, rehearsals and foolishness, we got to come together for something much bigger than ourselves. This year, Best in Drag raised over $465,000 for a truly incredible cause @aplahealth ! One of the biggest totals in recent years! 🤯

To get to perform, laugh, make new friends, be part of community AND help raise that kind of money? That’s a pretty damn good welcome back to LA.

So grateful I got to be a part of it. My first Best in Drag, but hopefully not my last. 💋

Also shoutout to @crcwigs who slaaaaaaayed & laid this wig!!

#BestInDragShow #LosAngeles #DragForACause

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New work. 🎬

Starring: @hi_lee_james & @phredericsemaj
Directed by: @karissaemc
Written by: @melissablueward & @hi_lee_james
Produced & edited by: @melissablueward
Cover artwork by: @dayandraleao

Excerpt from the full short. DM me to watch the complete scene.

#Actor #SAGAFTRA #LosAngelesActor #ActingReel #ActorReel FilmActor TVActor OriginalShort ShortFilm IndieFilm CastingDirectors ActorsOfInstagram

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Really enjoyed joining the SAG-AFTRA LA Local NextGen Performers this week for Rethinking the Actor’s Day Job: Financial Stability Panel.

We talked about the very real challenge of building a sustainable life as an artist: flexible work, side hustles, multiple income streams, and finding jobs that don’t leave you with nothing left when the audition or self-tape comes in.

One of my favorite takeaways from the night was realizing that every person on the panel had found a way to use skills they already had in another part of their working life. Lee talked about how his musical theatre and movement background translated into fitness instruction, but also how actors get very good at reading people and reading a room, which he uses every day in that work. Improv became corporate team building. Teaching, coaching, gig work and entrepreneurship have all become part of my own patchwork.

There really isn’t one perfect “actor survival job.” The goal is to build a life that lets you stay in the game.

Debra Arviso from the Entertainment Community Fund also talked about the career counseling and support they offer entertainment professionals who are trying to build sustainable work outside the industry. If you’re feeling stuck on what else you can do, they are absolutely a resource worth knowing about.

Big thanks to SAG-AFTRA and the NextGen Performers Committee for having me, and to my fellow panelists Debra Arviso, Lee James, James Simenc, Jeffrey Thompson and Rachel Thundat, and our moderator Rudy Solis III, for such a thoughtful conversation.

Looking forward to staying involved and doing more of these.

#SAGAFTRA #NextGenPerformers #WorkingActor #ActorsLife #CareerLongevity

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Hanging w/ my Brother Skid…. @djskidlicious

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Member Milestone Monday!!

We love when we get to celebrate members AND staff! What a fun week. Here’s to September, everyone! 🍂🏈

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time with JORDY @jordymusic @lee_the__leo

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THE DEFENSE (2026)
Written by: @chloejuliannemoore & @melissablueward & @iam_matthewwolf
Directed by: @karissaemc
Produced by: @iam_matthewwolf & @chloejuliannemoore
Lead actors: @chloejuliannemoore @iam_matthewwolf
Director of Photography: @strobel.steven
Production Design: @chloejuliannemoore @iam_matthewwolf
Make-up artist: @stefaniakoszti_makeup
Editor: @melissablueward @rockyourreel
Cast: @lee_the__leo
Gaffer: @strobel.steven
Sound Recordist: @johnnyferro
Grip: @strobel.steven
Costume Design: @chloejuliannemoore @iam_matthewwolf
Post Production: @melissablueward
Poster Design: @chloejuliannemoore
Location: Shot in @thecityoflosangela

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Happy Birthday to the one who always brings the energy Coach Lee!! 🎉🧡

Thanks for keeping us motivated, lifting us up, and making every workout a great one. Hope your day is as awesome as you are! 🥳💪

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Happiest 40th Birthday to my Big Brother & the best Guncle ever ❤️🌈🎉 — I love you so much @lee_the__leo Don’t ever forget you’re a star 🌟!

How could this NOT melt my heart? 🥹

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This is the level of work our actors bring into class every single week. @angefornero 's Thursday ongoing class came to PLAY. Actors: here is your sign - don't wait until you get an audition to do what you love. Dive into a script, put it on tape, have fun, play! 🎬🕺💃

#acting #actingclass #selftape #audition #actorlife

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“The Defense” Behind the Scenes 🎬 Photos from our short film!
⭐️Starring: @iam_matthewwolf @chloejuliannemoore
📝Written by: @melissablueward @iam_matthewwolf @chloejuliannemoore
🎥Filmed by: @melissablueward @rockyourreel @johnnyferro
💋MUA: @stefaniakoszti_makeup
🎬Directed by: @karissaemc

✨Special thanks to: @lee_the__leo @colleenfoy @stankirschstudios @angefornero @instaryry @stonetalentagency @prioritytalent

🎶Music for this post: the one and only @ameliamcleanmusic because I will find any reason to feature my fabulously talented friend 🎶

#shortfilm #legaldrama #actress #losangeles #filmedinLosAngeles

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