James is the Filipino step-son of New Zealand comedy. A 13 year veteran of the country’s comedy scene, he has climbed the ranks to become a household name in New Zealand. In 2019, his show Boy Mestizo garnered him a nomination for the Fred Award for Best Show at the NZ International Comedy Festival and went on to become his first stand-up comedy special. In 2022 he toured his latest show Badong around New Zealand, Melbourne and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

In 2023 James was handpicked to be part of the New Faces International Showcase at the prestigious Just For Laughs Montreal comedy festival.

James’ New Zealand television credits include being a core guessing panelist on The Masked Singer NZ, as well as being featured on TVNZ’s Have You Been Paying Attention? NZ, 7 Days, Jono and Ben, Funny Girls and the New Zealand Comedy Gala. James has opened for some of the most popular comedians in the world including Ronny Chieng, Nick Kroll, Demetri Martin, and Ron Funches.

Through his comedy, he has amassed a following of over 200,000 people across Tiktok and Instagram combined. In 2023, he moved to Toronto, Canada with an eye on the future.

As well as a solo career, James is also one third of the sketch group Frickin Dangerous Bro, alongside Pax Assadi and Jamaine Ross. The trio debuted their TV show Frickin Dangerous Bro: On The Road in 2021. He is part of cult-hit improv troupe SNORT which continues to sellout it’s weekly show at Auckland’s Basement Theatre.

Outside of comedy, James has also been involved in theatre. He is a co-founder of Proudly Asian Theatre, a theatre company dedicated to showcasing more Asian-NZ stories onstage and and has played the lead role of Sidu in Indian Ink Theatre Company’s Kiss the Fish, which has toured New Zealand and USA. 
For his acting work, James is represented by Auckland Actors and is a proud member of the NZ Actors Equity.

REVIEWS

"The epitome of slick…a comic at ease onstage…☆☆☆☆" - Chortle (UK), Full review

"My favourite show of the festival " - Metro Mag NZ, Full review

"Bold and often unflinching…☆☆☆☆" - New Zealand Herald, Full review

"Damnit the guy is likeable…☆☆☆☆☆" - Peril Magazine (AU), Full review