Biography

Jim Fitzpatrick

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Overview

Born
August 28, 1959 · Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Height
5′ 11″ (1.80 m)

Mini bio

With over 45 years of experience in the Film & Television Industry, Jim Fitzpatrick began his acting career on the stage at the tender age of 13 when he appeared in his first school play, "A Thousand Clowns," at Seminole (Florida) High School. Jim accepted a football scholarship to Illinois State University as a theater major where he became involved with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company founded by Gary Sinise and John Malkovich. He put aside an acting career to play professional football, however, starting in 1981 with the Hamilton Tiger Cats in the CFL (Canadian Football league) followed by short stints with the Chicago Bears ('82) and the Baltimore Colts('82). His football career ended when he retired in 1985, after spending three seasons with the Tampa Bay Bandits in the USFL ('83-'85). However, playing for the Bandits was a blessing in disguise. One of the owners of the Bandits was Burt Reynolds, who was instrumental in setting Jim's career in Los Angeles in motion. Jim began auditioning for productions during the off-seasons. Before moving to L.A., he landed parts in Miami Vice (1984), Cocoon (1985) which led to meeting and becoming friends with Richard & Lili Zanuck and finally D.A.R.Y.L. (1985). Since then, Jim has appeared in over 30 plays for the stage (seven of which he has written, produced and directed in Los Angeles). He has also starred and guest-starred in over 70 roles in films and television such as U.S. Seals (2000), Operation Delta Force 3: Clear Target (1998), Armageddon (1998), Star Trek: Enterprise (2001), JAG (1995) and All My Children (1970), Elizabethtown (2005), Dolphin Tale (2011), and Soulmates (2023).

Besides acting, James has written, produced and directed a poignant romantic drama titled An American Reunion (2003), one of 33 screenplays he has written and produced. James filmed a pilot for a TV series called Supernatural (2005), which he executive-produced and directed. Jim, his actress wife, Jodi Knotts, and their two sons, J.J. Fitzpatrick and Jadon Cal Fitzpatrick, live in both Los Angeles and Seminole, Florida, where he is developing films, after completing the first a series of three called Adventure Scouts (2010).
- IMDb mini biography by: Julienne Ford-Hammond

Family

Spouse

Self-verified on IMDbPro

Race / Ethnicity
Indigenous, White

Trademarks

Ball Busters Mascots & Logos

Trivia

After training Cammie in the Theater for roughly a year, Fitzpatrick set-up Cameron Diaz with his agent, which helped launch her professional acting career.
His Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) character, Commander Williams, was named after William Shatner.
In 1987, Jimmy became close friends with feature director Michael Bay (Armageddon, Bad Boys 1 & 2, The Rock). They met while Michael was still attending film school in college and holding auditions, when Michael asked Jimmy to Star in Senior Thesis Project. In fact, Jimmy has starred in over 18 different Films, National Commercials, Music Videos, and a short, titled 'Evicted', for Michael. They're still close friends to this day.
He and Sam Shepard became friends in the late 80s, during an evening of Tequila and a deep discussion about the philosophy of writing two- and three- act semi-autobiographical plays for the stage. Several years later, James co-starred in one of Sam's most controversial Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, entitled, "Curse of The Starving Class".
Fitzpatrick was reportedly the first Tarzan at Busch Gardens theme park in Tampa, Florida.

Quotes

If all things are possible, then the possibilties are endless.
My heart dreams of love, my mind dreams of life, my soul dreams of you...wherever, and whoever you are.
Hindsight is knowledge...Insight is wisdom...Foresight is genius.
In my findings, our physical, psychological and emotional characteristics called instincts, are nothing more than stored genetic memory, handed-down from every generation of ancestry that came before us.
Filmmaking is a constantly evolving process of expression...and it is our hearts, minds, bodies and souls experiences, that is truly the muse. Those artists that take heed of life's humbling lessons, are the more fortunate ones. It is truly a gift from God, to be able to share those internal, emotional colors and sounds.