Heidi James was born and raised in Austin, Texas. At seven years old she was performing in her family's traveling road show and proceeded to developed her acting, voice and dance ability in regional productions, including Joe Egg, Curse Of The Starving Class, Getting Out and West Side Story. She landed a lead role in a national mini-series and later moved to Los Angeles where she attended The Academy of Dramatic Arts. When Marion Dougherty of Warner Brothers saw Heidi in the showcase, she cast her in the film Falling Down, working in a scene opposite Robert Duval. She was later introduced to Tim Robbins' Actors Gang, where she originated the role of hard-rock singer Ricky Roy. She then moved to New York.It didn't take long before she was invited into the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway theater company 29th Street Rep, known for producing such NY premieres as Tracy Letts' Killer Joe and Rona Munroe's Bold Girls. While working on a story-theater production of Pilgrims, directed by Shira Piven, produced by Mike Nichols, she optioned Elizabeth Gilbert's story about a female bull rider and has created the TV series Deadshot Girls. She is also a co-writer of modern noir thriller Follow The Queen and plans to star in it.She toured the gold coast of Australia singing in "Tom Waits For No Man" performing alongside vocalist Stewart D'Arrietta, a show that played to sold out houses in New York, The Edinburgh Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival and London.She resides in Los Angeles where she acts, writes, paints and sings. Her original "One Shoe" is on the soundtrack for the film Underdogs, alongside The Blues Travelers and Black Keyes.