Born:
September 23, 1976
Birthplace: Salford, Greater Manchester, England
Trivia:
Didn't begin acting until 2005, when a friend asked if he'd appear in a student film that he was shooting. Prior to that, he was pursuing the career he'd gone to college for—marketing. Found an acting teacher via the Yellow Pages after deciding he wanted to give acting a go. Among the jobs he took while supporting his acting aspirations: bricklayer and pastry packer. Hyphenated his name to James-Collier to placate the acting union Equity, as there was already an actor named Rob Collier. Scored a supporting role in a series (Down to Earth) on one of his first auditions. Appeared in catalogs for Argos (a British retail chain) in 2007 and '08. Anointed "Sexiest Male" at the 2007 and 2008 British Soap Awards for his work on Coronation Street.