James Francis Thomas McGrath was born in Seattle, Washington, to John McGrath, a former producer and videographer at Microsoft, and Susan McGrath, a recovery room nurse. He is also the nephew of the multi-talented director, Tom McGrath.
Growing up, McGrath developed a passion for drawing and performing for his family. As an early teenager, he aspired to become a professional skateboarder, but eventually found a deeper sense of fulfillment in the emotional expression and collaboration of high school play production.
McGrath pursued higher education at Western Washington University, where he studied classical and contemporary acting theory, earning Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Acting and Creative Writing. During his college years, he honed his craft through improv and theatre performances in New York, Chicago, Vancouver, England, and Kobe, Japan. He also became an ensemble member of The Dead Parrots Society improv team, earning national awards and hundreds of hours of stage experience.
For his lead performance as English explorer Robert Falcon Scott in the stage play Terra Nova, McGrath was nominated for and went on to win an Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship, as well as The Mark Twain Comedy Award in 2012. He also performed his own written work at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
Today, James McGrath resides in Los Angeles, where he lends his voice to the character Wizzy in the Dreamworks animated feature film, The Boss Baby.
