James Frank Refalo grew up in Orange County, California. James served five years as a US naval surface warfare officer, and in his last year was in a USMC spec operations unit. He has an MBA from Cornell and a PhD from NYU-Stern, has extensive experience as an investment banker, is a finance professor at Cal State LA, and previously was the department chairman. His acting interests and career started later in life when he began training in the Meisner technique in 2007. He has actively trained since that time. He is known for a wicked sense of humor, and his background in several careers permits him to bring depth and knowledge to the character's he portrays.