James Palmer was born in London but grew up in Oklahoma before moving to Scotland as a teenager, where he attended Gordonstoun School. His eclectic look springs from his mother's family's Greek and North African roots combined with the Scandinavian and English on his father's side. He is best known for his work on Bloodshore (2021), Snatch (2018), Endeavour (2014) and River City (2009 - 2011). He was classically trained at Guildford School of Acting (GSA) and went on to spend much of his early career on stage, most notably starring in Alan Alda's Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie and Jacqueline Wilson's Midnight in London's West End.