Admit One

My Life in Film

Emmett James

First set in Croydon, South London, in the 1980s, Admit One details how Emmett James escaped the pains of adolescence by going to the cinema. With wry, self-deprecating humor and observation, the author reflects on, obsesses over, and rages about film and its correlation to our pasts. The author finds that his true calling is in transiting one side of the screen to the other. He decides to leave England for the only place where he can realize his dream of becoming an actor - America.

We then follow the author on his numerous Hollywood adventures, watching as he glides smoothly from forgery to pornography to crashing the Academy Awards under the alias of a nominated screenwriter, and eventually stumbles into acting in the highest-grossing movie of all time, Titanic. At every turn, the films that inspired Emmett James as a child resurface, and they serve to contextualize his humorous collection of stories in which he provides unique insights into the fascinating world of film.

Emmett James spent his childhood in Croydon, South London, and finished his schooling in Cambridge, England. While studying acting at Strasberg Actors Studio in London, he began working in theater, eventually moving to Los Angeles in the early 1990s to pursue an acting career in film and television. He has worked extensively as a thespian in every medium, from voicing a #1 video game franchise to having a recurring role on Americas oldest running soap opera. Projects he has lent his television to have been honored with Oscars, Golden Globe, SAG, Emmy, and BAFTA awards. He was also presented with a prestigious ADA Award for his work on the Los Angeles stage. In addition to acting, he has produced, taught, and directed film, stage, and television productions in Hollywood and London. Coming from a family of authors that includes J.B. Priestley, Emmett James continues to live and work in Hollywood.