| Cole Anderson-James | |
|---|---|
 Anderson-James in 2022 | |
| Born | (1997-05-10) 10 May 1997 (age 27) Colchester, England |
| Years active | 2010–present |
Cole Anderson-James (born 10 May 1997) is a British YouTuber, social media personality, and actor.
Early life
Cole Anderson-James was born and raised in Colchester, England. Before achieving internet notability and starting a career as an actor, he was working in sales; "I got made redundant and it was probably one of the best things that has actually happened to me because I had way more time to spend doing the videos".
Career
2020-present
During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns in the United Kingdom, Anderson-James began releasing videos on TikTok and YouTube of himself lip-synching to Ricky Gervais' The Office character David Brent. He was soon spotted by Gervais, who followed Anderson-James on Twitter. In 2021, after directly contacting Gervais, asking if there were any cameo roles available on the third (and final) series of After Life, Gervais created a guest role for Anderson-James. "On the premise you don't ask, you don't get, months went past and I didn't hear anything. I thought 'it's not happening', and then I got an email saying 'audition for After Life 3' and my head exploded." Anderson-James' videos also caught the attention of Emily Atack, who cast him in her eponymously titled comedy series, as her love-interest "Fit Jason".
Later in 2022, Anderson-James appeared as Darren in the BBC comedy Murder, They Hope, alongside Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | The Big I Am | Stinger | Uncredited |
| 2011 | Mercenaries | Deano | |
| 2016 | The Contract | Simon | |
| 2020-2021 | The Emily Atack Show | Fit Jason | 8 episodes |
| 2022 | After Life | Yoga instructor | Series 3 episode 6 |
| Murder, They Hope | Darren | Series 2 episode 1: Can't See The Blood For The Trees | |
| At The End Of The Day (It's Not That Funny) | Shop keeper | Video |
References
- "Cole Anderson-James says TikTok is way better than his sales job". BBC. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- Grant, Kirsty (20 January 2022). "After Life 3: How TikTok took a Ricky Gervais fan to Netflix". BBC. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- Withers, Emily (27 January 2022). "Netflix After Life 3: The yoga teacher was a salesman until Ricky Gervais spotted his TikToks". Wales Online. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- Shepherd, Rebecca (15 January 2022). "Ricky Gervais Casted One Of His Superfans In After Life Series 3". LadBible. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- Williams, Rhiannon (4 September 2021). "Cole Anderson-James: Meet the TikTok comedy sensation Ricky Gervais has cast in After Life". i News. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
- Cremona, Patrick (30 June 2022). "Stars revealed for Murder, They Hope season 2 with Johnny Vegas". Radio Times. Retrieved 25 July 2023.