James was bitten by the acting but at a very young age. The loud and active boy lived for entertaining and performing for his family and friends, always setting up small, yet elaborate, plays and shows. Learning magic tricks, juggling and other quirky tricks were also a hobby of his, making sure to gather an “audience” in the family living room or around the neighborhood. “I want to be on TV, I want to be in a movie!” All he ever wanted was to be an actor and he never grew out of it. His parents placed in a local community theater group for young children, later becoming a very active member of several clubs and groups including drama club throughout high school. He lived for performing, being on stage and capturing the audience’s attention through diverse and complex characters. He enjoyed the process of transforming, becoming his character and giving them justice on stage.
Once James graduated high school he and his best friend packed up and moved to Los Angeles. He has less than a thousand dollars to his name, an old red metallic Chevy pick-up truck and his most precious belongings in the back. He waited tables, washed dishes, even a short stint as a waiter at Medieval Times. He was determined to do whatever it took to make his dreams come true.
In 2001 Gherity snagged a small role in Life as a House (2001) but began struggling to be cast in bigger roles. In 2003-2004 he starred as Oliver Task in The O.C., a mentally unstable teenager who meets Marissa Cooper and quickly becomes infatuated and obsessed with her. Gherity stared in the Havoc (2003), filmed in 2003 but only released direct to video in 2005. He continued concentrating his efforts on more film work, playing a Luke Paradise in the TV movie Paradise (2004) and Jack Mercer in Four Brothers (2005). The next few years Gherity played a minor role in John Tucker Must Die (2005) and Ryan in Spin (2007).
Though Gherity earned bigger roles throughout the years he first truly became known when he was cast as Jesse Pinkman in AMC’s Breaking Bad. His role wasn’t supposed to surpass the first season, Jesse was originally supposed to die, however, with Gherity and [WALTER WHITE ACTOR]’s strong chemistry on screen the series creator decided to change the original plot arc and promote Jesse to a main character of the show. With the show’s widespread critical acclaim came accolades for the actor, earning him several nominations including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014 - winning the award in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
After the undoubtedly huge success of Breaking Bad, Gherity turned to movies and ventured further on the big screen, starring in Always Woodstock and April Rain in 2014 and See You in Valhalla (2005). His transition from the small screen to the big screen wasn’t a successful one, however. It just seemed that he couldn’t graduate from his role as Jesse Pinkman and leave television behind.
Making the transition from slinging meth with Heisenberg to Marvel comic hero wasn’t a swift one. Gherity is said to have fought hard for the role of Matt Murdoch/Daredevil in Marvel’s Daredevil TV series on Netflix. The show entered development in late 2013 and while [ACTOR] was rumored to be attached to the project from the beginning, Gherity surprised all and was officially hired in May of 2014. All filming took place in New York City, especially in areas of New York which resembled Hell’s Kitchen. On April 21, 2015, the show was renewed for another season.
Gherity will reprise his role as Daredevil in Netflix’s The Defenders mini-series, slated to ai in 2017. The mini-series will unite Marvel’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Filming has been confirmed to begin by the end of 2016.
”I constantly have fans wanting me to berate them and call them a B****! It’s Gatorade me, Yo, Bitch, all the time and honestly, unless I’m really wrapped up in something else I can’t deny them. “
Gherity has a strong social media presence; he constantly maintains an open communication with his fans and the fandoms surrounding his roles. Live tweets, constant instagram post and twitter ramblings are common from him, now adding snapchat into the mix. Gherity voices his opinions on social media though he tries to remain neutral when it comes to controversial topics. At times he succumbs to twitter rants and gets baited into arguments but for the most part he’s online presence is viewed as a positive one. With his role as a Marvel superhero Gherity continuously participates in Comic Cons and events, always friendly and open to the public. He is very approachable, has no issues with paparazzi as he is not their usual target.
He is viewed as a hard worker and well liked by his peers, maintaining contact with those he’s worked with and nurturing a close circle of friends that often consists of previous co-stars. Gherity is viewed as an active figure in raising awareness for several campaigns and fundraisers, often using his social media outlets to help raise awareness and funds for causes he believes in. Gherity has been involved with Fuck Cancer, USAID, UNICEF and The Kind Campaign.
Gherity still resides in Los Angeles, making it his second home. He also owns an apartment in Chicago. Gherity is a known Blackhawks fan, a Bears fan and a Blackhawks fan.
