James Palmer was born in London but grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma before moving to Scotland as a teenager, where he attended Gordonstoun School. He is best known for his work on Endeavour (2014), River City (2009 - 2011) and Birds of a Feather (2014). He has also worked extensively on the London stage, most recently in Alan Alda's Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie.