James E. Hurd, Jr. was born and raised in Wewahitchka, Florida, where he developed a passion for theatre from a young age. He began his theatrical journey at Florida State University and Florida A&M, where he took on leading roles in productions such as "The Mighty Gents" and "Room Beneath the Blues".
His impressive stage work in Los Angeles includes performances in "Sentence of Silence", "No Longer an Alien", "Living on the Edge", "The Split", "Room 1222", which he also wrote and directed in workshop, "Peeled", and "Speaking of Charlie", which opened at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in October 2005.
In addition to his stage work, Hurd has made a significant impact in the film industry. He has completed numerous feature films, including "Columbus Day", "Jive Chicken", "Duplicator", "Red Herring", "Able Edwards", "Compton Cowboy", and "Consignment". He has also appeared in episodes of popular television shows such as "General Hospital" and "Murder She Wrote", and starred in the film "Repo Jake".
Hurd's film debut was in the 1989 film "Something Wild", alongside Melanie Griffith and Jeff Daniels. He has also written and directed several films, including "Poot of the Swingin' Blade", which he co-authored, directed, and produced.
As a playwright and director, Hurd has co-authored several civil rights-themed dramas with his co-author, Linda Bannister. Their latest full-length drama, "Turpentine Jake", concerns Black laborers enslaved under debt peonage in 1930s Florida, and received a staged reading at The Bellarmine Forum at Loyola Marymount University in November 2005. Hurd also directed and played the title role in "Turpentine Jake".
Hurd and Bannister are currently working on a new drama, "Cul De Sac", which explores the experience of menopause. Throughout his career, Hurd has spent 13 years working in the art departments of feature films, including "The Five Heartbeats", "Sneakers", "Next Friday", "Batman", "What Lies Beneath", "Dog Catcher", and "Like Mike".
