| James Gunn Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft |
| Weight | 72 kg |
| Date of Birth | August 5, 1966 |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Spouse | Jennifer Holland |
James Gunn is an American filmmaker, musician, actor, director, producer, and writer who has made his contributions to various genres of art. He has appeared in various films like Tromeo and Juliet, Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV, and Guardians of the Galaxy. He has received various accolades for his work including Chainsaw Award (2006) for Slither and Critics’ Choice Award (2015) for Guardians of the Galaxy.
Born Name
James Francis Gunn Jr.
Nick Name
James
Sun Sign
Leo
Born Place
St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Residence
Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality
Education
James Gunn passed out from Jesuit St. Louis University High School in 1984. He then joined an undergraduate film school at Loyola Marymount, Los Angeles for a 2-year course. But for the reasons unknown, he did not complete the course.
After that uneventful venture, he enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Louis University. He further went on to pursue his Masters in Fine Arts from Columbia University and successfully graduated in 1995.
Occupation
Screenwriter, Director, Producer, Novelist, Actor, Musician, Songwriter
Family
- Father – James F. Gunn (Former Attorney)
- Mother – Leota Gunn
- Siblings – Sean Gunn (Brother) (Actor), Matt Gunn (Brother) (Actor, Political Writer), Patrick Gunn (Brother) (Former Executive Vice President with Artisan Entertainment), Brian Gunn (Brother) (Screenwriter), Beth Gunn (Sister) (Lawyer)
- Others – Mark Gunn (Paternal Cousin)
Manager
James Gunn is managed by –
- United Talent Agency (UTA), Talent Agent, Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
- Peter Safran, Manager, The Safran Company, Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
- Maria Herrera and Rachael Reiss, Publicists, PMK*BNC, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Andrew Hurwitz, Legal Representative, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, New York, New York, U.S.
Genre
Rock
Instruments
Vocals
Labels
Ancient Lizard Records
Build
Slim
Height
6 ft or 183 cm
Weight
72 kg or 158.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
James Gunn has dated –
- Jenna Fischer (1999-2008) – After going out for a while, James married actress Jenna Fischer on October 7, 2000. They met through James’s brother Sean who knew Jenna since high school. However, after 7 years of marriage, their relationship fell apart and they announced their separation on September 5, 2007. Their divorce was finalized in 2008.
- Mia Matsumiya (2010) – Around the year 2010, James dated violinist Mia Matsumiya. They were seen attending the premiere of Super together and were also spotted together at the Spike TV’s Screen 2010 Award.
- Phagkamon Punyabhuti (2014) – In the summer of 2014, James had a brief relationship with Thailand’s reality TV star Phagkamon Punyabhuti.
- Jennifer Holland (2015-Present) – In 2015, James started dating actress Jennifer Holland. The two have been spotted together on several occasions. James and Jennifer got engaged in February 2022. In September 2022 end, they got married in Aspen, Colorado after dating for over 7 years.
Race / Ethnicity
White
He is of Irish and Czech descent.
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- High forehead
- Short spiky hairstyle
- Thick rimmed glass
Brand Endorsements
James Gunn has endorsed a brand named Funko.
Religion
Christianity
James stated that prayer has always been an important part of his life even though he considers himself to be “in some ways, anti-religion”.
Best Known For
- His talent as a successful screenwriter and director as he has demonstrated powerful storytelling in films including Tromeo and Juliet (1996), The Specials (2000), Scooby-Doo (2002), Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), and Dawn of the Dead (2004)
- Some of his notable works as a director which include Slither (2006), Super (2010), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
First Album
James was the lead vocalist of the band The Icons, which released their debut album titled Mom, We Like It Here On Earth with Ancient Lizard Records in 1994.
First Film
In 1996, James made his theatrical film debut in the action comedy-drama Tromeo and Juliet as Found a Peanut Father. He was also the writer, associate director, and producer of the film.
First TV Show
In 1997, he made his first TV show appearance in the comedy-drama series The Tromaville Café as Mike the Crazy Boom Guy. It was also the first TV series that he wrote and directed.
James Gunn Favorite Things
- Horror Film – Jaws (1975)
- Film Of 2014 – Whiplash
Source – CINEMABLEND, IndieWire
James Gunn Facts
- He grew up in St. Louis and Manchester, Missouri.
- He began making films at the age of 12.
- While in high school, James was involved in creating innovative political cartoons for The University News, the school’s weekly.
- His surname means “sons to the servants of the god of the dead”.
- In 1989, James started a band called The Icons and was the band’s lead vocalist.
- James has written several books namely, I Will Build My Church (1982), All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from The Toxic Avenger (1998) (co-written with Lloyd Kaufman), The Toy Collector (2000), Indy: Freedom’s Flagship (2004), and Be the Best at Who You Are (2013).
- He loves reading comic books.
- Before he began his film career, he did odd jobs which included working as a bar musician, quarry worker, and as a hospital orderly.
- He binge-wrote the screenplays for The Specials and Tromeo and Juliet in 2 weeks’ time.
- James was interviewing for a summer job when he got the opportunity to write the screenplay for Tromeo and Juliet for $150.
- He was one of the teenage, amateur filmmakers that belonged to a group called The Splicers.
- He is recognized for writing back-to-back #1 weekend box office hits, for films released in March 2014: Dawn of the Dead (March 19, 2004) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (March 26, 2004).
- He owns a hand-painted poster for Slither, sourced directly from Ghana.
- He has won awards for Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) in 2015 including Saturn Award for Best Director, Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation – Long Form, and North Carolina Film Critics Association Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
- He is the producer of his company The Good Boys.
- In July 2018, he was fired by Disney for his inappropriate tweets which resurfaced after 10 years.
Featured Image by Pop Culture Geek / Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
