Oldbury actor to star in new thriller

Following appearances in TV show Doctors and other feature films, James Bradley is now set to take on a key part in a psychological thriller directed by Kevin McDonagh.

The Birmingham-based director is best-known for films Lycanthropy, Idol of Evil and Enter the Cage.

His latest work, Cellar Whispers, will see the Oldbury actor play the mentally-challenged son of a woman struggling to survive after the disappearance of her husband.

James said: “I will portray an illiterate farm boy. I originally met up with the writer Sheila Evans and her husband Bill back in July 2016, originally auditioning for a short film she was producing at the time.”

“When meeting her, she said she was impressed by my mysterious personality and humbleness, and then it just all happened so quickly and I was immediately cast in her feature film, Cellar Whispers.

“She previously stated she found it difficult to find the right person to play this psychologically challenged individual, but she saw something interesting in me.”

Dedicated to his new role, James has taken extreme steps to get into character.

He added: “I started to live as him. I wanted to create the feeling of neglect and being misunderstood. I would visit my partner’s family home in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and I would spend about to hours maximum in their cellar to get a feel of what it is like to be isolated. I also lost weight to make myself look more vulnerable.”

James’ talent for drama was recognised while at St. Michael’s C of E High School in Rowley Regis, where after achieving an A* in GCSE Drama he went on to study acting and music at Halesowen College.

Sheila Evans said: “When I first saw James, I was impressed with his distinctive personality, talent and commitment.

“This film is a great opportunity for him to work with a highly motivated, professional team of actors and crew.”