Australian actor and celebrity chef, most widely known to Australian and international audiences as Sonny’s older brother Mark Hammond in the 1960s children’s TV show, Skippy. Since his debut in Skippy, James continued to work in the TV and film industry for another 36 years.
James had recurring roles as television actor Tony Wild in The Box from 1974 to 1977, Tom Walker in Glenview High from 1977 to 1979, air traffic controller Simon Young in Skyways from 1979 to 1980, and Mike O’Brien in Sons and Daughters from 1984 to 1985. He has also appeared in Matlock Police, Pugwall, Prisoner, and made guest appearances in multiple other TV shows.
James is passionate about cooking and worked on Good Morning Australia with Bert Newton for over 10 years as a celebrity chef. He was also involved in the marketing campaign of the cooking aid Ecopot.
James worked as a drama tutor at the Australian Television Academy for 10 years, and also as a Master of Ceremonies for the Royal Children’s hospital, weddings and private functions.
In December 2009, James was diagnosed with stage three non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which escalated to stage four by 2011. James started chemotherapy, and as of November 2020 the cancer is in recession. James was also actively involved in the Victorian Police Force as an unsworn member from 1993 to 2013.
Link to Wikipedia biography