OBIT: James R. Mathers, Founder of Studio City-Based Writers Group

Submitted by AnnMarie Baranik: 

JAMES R. MATHERS

10/30/1936 – 7/11/2014

James Rudolph Mathers, was born in Seattle in the depth of the Great Depression, graduated from Roosevelt High School, attended the University of Washington, then served as an Air Force cadet. He worked as a ski instructor in Aspen, and as ski patrol for 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, then moved to Los Angeles and began working in the aerospace industry. He was married and his son was born in1964. While working at TRW, James attended night law school and earned a degree from Beverly College of Law in 1968. Subsequently, James pursued writing and directing, and ultimately found his true calling as an actor.

 In 1975 James moved to San Francisco, where he met and married artist and writer, Dallas Dorsett. He worked at the One Act Theater, Magic Theater and the Bay Area Playwright’s Festival with writers and performing artists, John O’Keefe, Sam Shepard, George Walker and others.  He earned his SAG card in 1979.  In 1982, James and Dallas moved to New York where he worked in film, television, theater and regional theater. He took a few months off in 1988 to sail across the Atlantic Ocean with one of his best friends, a highlight of his life. 

In 1990, James and Dallas relocated to Los Angeles where James continued to work full time as an actor. In collaboration with Dallas, he started the successful Writers Group which meets in Studio City, and wrote several screenplays some of which were optioned and sold. In addition to going on auditions and call-backs, James was active in the Writers Group, attended Magic Circle lunches bi-monthly and met regularly with fellow law school graduates. Around 2011, James began writing e-books, two of which were published and are still available for download. He was working on a third book at the time of his death.

James’ acting credits include: The Right Stuff, Fire Down Below, Cold Case, ER, Ray Donovan, all the Soaps, Zombie Radio Show, copious cable, internet and xBox/PS games; Theater: Curse of the Starving Class, Happy Birthday Wanda June, Desire Under the Elms, Our Town, The Lion in Winter.

James is survived by his wife Dallas, his son James, his sister Joan Stanley, three nephews, John, Mark and Kevin, two nieces, Carla and Theresa, and his beloved granddaughter, Luna Magic and her mother Kelli.