James Rudolph II
James Rudolph II may not have planned on a career in the arts, but he’s always been a performer.
“I was sort of a party trick for my family,” the Nashville native says. “It was like, ‘Jay, come do that thing you were working on!’ I’m sure there’s probably video somewhere of me doing Michael Jackson’s Thriller — I mean, I had every move down. So I always loved to perform, but I never saw it as a viable career.”
Rudolph says he received plenty of encouragement from teachers and friends over the years, but it wasn’t until someone suggested he audition for a show at Street Theatre Company that he really considered a future on the stage.
“I was 24, working in a restaurant, and people kept asking me if I was an actor or comedian,” he says. “It felt like the universe was trying to tell me something. I ended up trying out for Bat Boy: The Musical at Street Theatre, and it just took off from there.”
Since then, Rudolph has worked with virtually every company in town, including Nashville Rep, Studio Tenn, Nashville Story Garden and Kindling Arts Festival, to name a few. This season has kept him particularly busy at the Nashville Children’s Theatre, where he regularly performs and also works as a teaching artist.
“Working with the Children’s Theatre is one of the coolest things I’ve done as a professional actor,” says Rudolph, who’s currently gearing up for NCT’s Hip Hop Cinderella and recently earned his Actors’ Equity card. “I grew up coming to this theater, and now I get to be part of the next generation of artists. It’s an honor and a privilege that I do not take lightly. I’ve grown so much as an artist here, and get to play such fun characters. I mean, where else could I play a snail or a robot?”
But as much as Rudolph enjoys playing such varied roles, he wasn’t quite prepared for all the backlash — including national headlines, threats and more — surrounding his performance as Miss Gulch/The Wicked Witch of the West in NCT’s recent staging of The Wizard of Oz.
“The thing that was so frustrating was that everyone skipped over the fact that we had women playing the traditionally male roles of the Wizard and the Lion,” he says. “They just wanted to be mad about the boy in the dress, because they equated that with drag. There’s so much to talk about with that production — actors playing their own instruments, a woman of color in the lead role. But no — for some people, it was all about me wearing a dress. To me, playing the Witch is no different than playing a snail or a robot. The only difference was this ridiculous internet outrage. But the kids loved it, so that’s my focus. As long as my director’s happy, and the kids are happy, then I’ve done my job. People can say what they want. I’m going to focus on the work.”
That focus seems to carry through in all of Rudolph’s pursuits. Currently pursuing a music degree, he plays several instruments, enjoys writing and even has his own baking business — JR’s Cake Company.
“My mom had three boys, and made sure we all learned to cook,” he says. “But I was always in charge of desserts. I remember making a SpongeBob cake for my nephew, and my brother said, ‘Where’d you buy that cake?’ I thought, ‘Well, all right, maybe I can do this!’ Over the years, I’ve had to set it aside and pick it back up, depending on my schedule. But I love trying new recipes — new ideas for cakes. I guess it all just feeds that artistic side of me. My art, my cakes — they’re all part of who I am.”
Photographed by Angelina Castillo at Nashville Children’s Theatre
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