Mike's Moment Of… Dramatic Exploration

Season 2 | Episode 3

Guest: Marcos James

In this deeply engaging episode of Mike's Moment Of… Dramatic Exploration, host Michael Sean Harris reconnects with longtime friend, collaborator, and internationally successful actor Marcos James for an expansive conversation about craft, culture, discipline, and creative evolution.

From their formative years with Cathi Levy's Little People and Teen Players Club and Ashe, to Marcos' rise on the West End, this episode traces a journey rooted in Jamaican training and global ambition. Marcos shares how a chance audition led him from Carmen to Disney's The Lion King in London—making him one of the first fully Jamaican-trained performers cast in the West End production.

The conversation moves through pivotal career moments, including:

• His transition from dancer to leading actor in The Mahabharata at Sadler's Wells
• Grueling physical training and stage combat with Royal Opera's Aida
• Landing the role of White Rat (Unsullied) on HBO's Game of Thrones—a casting that changed his life overnight
• Navigating identity, ambiguity, and accent as tools rather than limitations in casting
• His leap from London to Los Angeles, adjusting to Hollywood's casting culture, and building a thriving screen career

Marcos also reflects on recent work including Keeping Up with the Joneses, The Family Business, Days of Our Lives, and the Amazon film Cabin Pressure, where his extensive movement and combat training continues to inform his screen performances.

The episode culminates with an exciting deep dive into Marcos' original film project, Ceremony: Last of the Bloodlines—a culturally rooted psychological horror exploring trauma, inheritance, fractured family bonds, and ancestral ceremony, inspired by Caribbean spiritual traditions. Marcos discusses writing the screenplay, assembling an international creative team, and the journey toward funding and production.

This episode is a masterclass in artistic longevity, cultural authenticity, and trusting the moments that shape your path.

🎭 A must-listen for actors, creatives, and storytellers navigating purpose, preparation, and global artistry.

🔔 Listen & Subscribe

Available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms via the Reggae Online Podcast Channel.

🎧 Also Explore

• Mike's Moment Of… Songs and Stories
• Di Tallawah Table

• • Michael Sean Harris' avant-garde release Under God — streaming now on all platforms