James Lafferty was born in raised in Hemet, California. James attended Hemet High School and played basketball for the Bulldogs, even earning the MVP award. He has been steadily working since the age of 6 when his mother encouraged him and his brother, Stuart Lafferty, to act as a hobby. At age ten, he received his first speaking part and, then later, a role on the short lived television series Emeril as Emeril Lagasse's son. James also made guest appearances as Once and Again (as Tad) and Boston Public. He also had a role in the ESPN movie A Season on the Brink, a basketball movie about the Indiana Hoosiers, where he was able to demonstrate his basketball skills. He graduated in 2003 from Hemet High and was enrolled at Cal State Long Beach before he received the role of "Nathan" on the WB Network's new series One Tree Hill, filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. Once in University, James plans on majoring in international studies.


Older brother of Stuart Lafferty. His favorite TV shows are "South Park" (1997), "The Sopranos" (1999) and "The Daily Show" (1996). Favorite book is "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley as told to TV Guide magazine in 2004. Loves the Yukon and Mustang Cobra cars Was born to Angie and Jeff Lafferty, who own a local construction business in Hemet California. His favorite actors are: Tom Hanks, and Edward Norton. He has a black belt in Tae Kwon Doe. Received the nickname "Baby James" by his co-workers, Hilarie Burton, Chad Michael Murray, Sophia Bush and Bethany Joy Lenz.