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Heidi James is an actress and award-winning screenwriter celebrated for crafting chewy hybrid dramas that champion underdogs, rebels, and renegades. Whether adapting heartwarming true stories or creating a TV series inspired by her father's cult legacy in the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," James' work boldly embraces the unconventional.

Born and raised in Austin, Texas-before SXSW and the "Keep Austin Weird" bumper sticker-when "weird" was simply a reflection of the city's vibrant artistic culture, Heidi James began her creative journey performing in her family's traveling roadshow. This early immersion in storytelling and performance set the foundation for her multifaceted life in the arts.

James' eclectic body of work ranges from a limited series inspired by GQ's cover story of American Gladiator-turned-coyote Elden Kidd, to the gripping true story of a 1786 Appalachian feud centered on a woman who transformed the American education system, a compelling LGBTQ+ miniseries, and "Deadshot Girls," a female-driven supernatural western celebrating America's first frontierswomen.

She has performed coast to coast and abroad, touring for two years with "Tom Waits For No Man", a show that played to sold-out houses in Australia, London, the Edinburgh Festival, and the Montreal Jazz Festival. As a member of the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway company 29th Street Rep, she received rave reviews and contributed to groundbreaking New York premieres.

Heidi's training includes working with directing and acting luminaries such as Wynn Handman (The American Place Theater), Larry Moss, William Esper, Mike Nichols, Beth Torn, and Byrne, Joyce, and Shira Piven. She studied screenwriting at the Sundance Collab, Australian Film Television & Radio School, Film Video Arts, and Writer's Boot Camp on both coasts.

James' feature debut, "The Man Who Changed the World," premieres Thanksgiving 2025, followed by her directorial debut.

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Heidi James

Writer

Actress

Producer

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Credit Score: Heidi James