Bio
James Taiye is an actor, voice actor, improviser, and entertainment creative whose work spans animation, audio drama, comedy, and digital media. He is known for character-driven performances rooted in empathy, humor, and emotional authenticity, with a strong focus on storytelling that reflects lived experience and connection.
James is a trained actor and voice actor, working across animation, audio drama, commercial, narration, and interactive media. His vocal range includes children, teens, adults, seniors, and creature work, supported by a baritone speaking voice and strong character versatility. His voice acting credits include animation and audio drama projects such as Wild Intentions, Bar Short, Soul Strikers, Guns Blazing, Ollabar’s Dream, The Necessary Evil, Dark Sun, Dungeon’s & Dimwits, Roll for Rob, and The Bureaucratic Guild, among others. He also served as a voice actor for NTPA Deaf Theater’s production of DRACULA, contributing vocal performance work in support of an inclusive theatrical production.
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James has extensive improv and live performance experience with Stomping Ground Comedy Theater, where he is an active member of multiple performing troupes. His credits include the Thanksgiving Sketch Show, the short-form improv game show Versus, Rainbow Rats, where the ensemble performs Macro Location–based improv, and Radical Joy, a long-form troupe performing in the Harold format. This work has sharpened his comedic timing, ensemble awareness, adaptability, and narrative instincts—skills that strongly inform both his on-mic and on-screen performances.
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For over eight years, James has built and performed under the creator identity J2Ruto, a cornerstone of his growth as a performer and producer. As J2Ruto, James served as a partner and community streamer with Hi-Rez Studios and Titan Forge Games for two years, showcasing SMITE and SMITE 2 to an audience network averaging 750,000 followers and 1,500 concurrent viewers. In this role, he was not only a performer but a trusted on-camera representative—introducing gameplay, live-commentating, improvising character-driven moments, and sustaining long-form audience engagement.
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Beyond streaming, James worked directly with Titan Forge Games, providing early feedback and creative input on SMITE 2 during its development. This collaboration deepened his understanding of interactive storytelling, performance for live audiences, and the relationship between performers, developers, and community—experience that closely parallels modern entertainment pipelines in gaming, animation, and digital media.
As Executive Producer and Creative Director of the J2Ruto channel, James curated shows, cast other performers and creators, shaped recurring formats, and led collaborative productions. He also partners with independent game publishers to showcase new titles on his personal channel, bringing a performer’s sensibility to live demos, narrative framing, and audience-first presentation. Through J2Ruto, James developed core skills in hosting, improvisation, character continuity, production leadership, and creative direction at scale.
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J2Ruto represents a formative chapter in James Taiye’s performer journey—where acting, voice work, improv, and production converged in real time. The platform allowed him to perform consistently, collaborate widely, and refine his craft in front of live audiences, directly shaping his approach to acting, ensemble work, and storytelling.
James brings a strong producer and project-lead perspective shaped by more than 15 years of professional experience in architecture and healthcare design, where he worked on complex institutional and hospital projects. This background contributes to his strengths in organization, collaboration, and translating creative ideas into executable plans—skills that directly support his work developing entertainment projects and managing creative teams.
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He is currently an emerging MBA candidate at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, applying business fundamentals to entertainment development, production planning, and long-term creative sustainability.
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Whether performing behind the microphone, on stage, or developing projects from concept to execution, James Taiye approaches his work with discipline, curiosity, and a deep respect for storytelling as a collaborative craft.