James Francis Ciskanik was raised in rural Front Royal, Virginia as the fourth of six children to Margaret M, (O'Reilly) an Irish-American nurse, and John F. Ciskanik, a New Yorker and a construction manager for Kelly's Falls. James played soccer and rugby in college and graduated from Christendom with a degree focused in English Literature. James loved performing in Shakespeare plays from age five and was in his first film at age thirteen. He studied acting in New York City and currently is an actor and screenwriter living in Los Angeles.