A Holiday I Can Get Behind...

It’s April 4, 2010. Do you know what today is??

Well…yes, its Easter, but its also James Roday’s 34^th birthday!!

(It’s Robert Downey Junior’s birthday too but that’s neither here nor there.)

James Roday is my favorite actor. Psych is the first thing I saw him in, and besides him being laugh-out-loud funny, this man can do everything. If you aren’t a big Psych fan (*gasps*) then let me introduce you to James.

Adorable, right?

James Roday was born James Rodriguez on April 4, 1976 in San Antonio, Texas. He grew up on a military base where his dad worked, and his mom was a teacher. James attended the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU where he studied theater.

James in his early 20s. Taken from Red Dog Squadron's Facebook (RDS was co-founded by James)

After getting a bunch of small roles in movies and starring on a lot of failed television shows, James finally landed THE role: Shawn Spencer on Psych. He started out as just an actor, but soon James started co-writing an episode or two. Then James and co-star Dulé Hill became producers. In the third season, James co-wrote an episode with Steve Franks (the show's creator) called “Tuesday the 17th,” and James directed it! James also co-wrote and directed the Season 4 finale “Mr.Yin Presents.” He is a man of many talents and keeps himself busy!

During the filming hiatus, James starred in a play in LA called Extinction along with Michael Weston. You may know him as Hornstock in Psych’s “Cloudy, Chance of Murder”, Spencer in Burn Notice’s “Signal and Codes”, or as Lucas, the PI/Cuddy's boyfriend in House. I had the honor of seeing the play when it ran in New York City. I went on March 7^th with a bunch of friends (some who I met through twitter). The play was phenomenal. I judge how good an actor is by watching them in various things and determining if I see them as a single character no matter what they do or if they can convince me they are whom they are playing. James convinced me he was Finn. Yes, I got distracted a few times by the fact that I was literally two feet away from my favorite man in the world, but halfway through the play I forgot about all of that and just enjoyed every second.

After the play ended, we waited outside to meet James, Michael, and the two other cast members. It was without a doubt the best day of all of our lives. I could go into detail, but I own a Flip Camera so you can just watch it on youtube. 

Thats me with James!

The play was so good that I went to see it a second time. It was late, I was tired from being in the city all day, and James didn’t stay as long, but it worked out great. There were fewer people so I was able to talk to him more! (And get more hugs…wow, what a good hugger!) Here’s a fun fact that you won’t find anywhere else since I asked him directly:

James was signing someone’s magnet from the NBC store and no one was talking so i said, "James, what's the weirdest thing anyone has asked you to sign?"
"Someone wanted me to sign their boobs."
"Did you?"
"I did not."
"Alright…what's the weirdest thing you actually did sign?"
*thinks* "A birth certificate."

Yeah…James signed someone’s birth certificate. Lets all take a moment to wonder, “Why did someone HAVE their birth certificate with them, and why did they ask him to sign THAT?”

            So there you have it; a little history behind the birthday boy. He is my favorite actor and I wish him a happy and healthy 34^th year of life! (Hear that, James? You’re not allowed to get your appendix out for the sixth time. Five was enough.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMES!!!

Leave a comment below wishing James a Happy Birthday. If you don’t, he’ll look like this:

Oh, and Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it. :)

-Jenna

PS: Thank you Sam for staying up and checking this for me.
Jason Berger dubbed her James Roday's Biggest Fan and she was one of the girls who went to Extinction with me so I felt like she needed to approve of this post.