Cole Anderson-James

{{short description|British TikToker, YouTuber and actor (born 1997)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Cole Anderson-James

| image = Cole Anderson-James.png

| image_caption = Anderson-James in 2022

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|5|10|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Colchester, England

| years active = 2010–present

| nationality =

| education =

| occupation =

| module = {{Infobox TikTok personality

| embed = yes

| page = coleandersonj

| page_display_name = Cole Anderson James

| followers = 2.6 million

| likes = 105.1 million

| stats_update = 17 January 2025

}}

Cole Anderson-James (born 10 May 1997) is a British YouTuber, social media personality, and actor.

Early life

Cole Anderson-James was born and raised in Colchester, England. Before achieving internet notability and starting a career as an actor, he was working in sales; "I got made redundant and it was probably one of the best things that has actually happened to me because I had way more time to spend doing the videos".{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-62325568|title=Cole Anderson-James says TikTok is way better than his sales job|website=BBC|date=28 July 2022|access-date=25 July 2023}}

Career

=2020-present=

During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns in the United Kingdom, Anderson-James began releasing videos on TikTok and YouTube of himself lip-synching to Ricky Gervais' The Office character David Brent.{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} He was soon spotted by Gervais, who followed Anderson-James on Twitter.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-60071367|title=After Life 3: How TikTok took a Ricky Gervais fan to Netflix|website=BBC|last=Grant|first=Kirsty|date=20 January 2022|access-date=25 July 2023}} In 2021, after directly contacting Gervais, asking if there were any cameo roles available on the third (and final) series of After Life, Gervais created a guest role for Anderson-James. "On the premise you don't ask, you don't get, [...] months went past and I didn't hear anything. I thought 'it's not happening', and then I got an email saying 'audition for After Life [season] 3' and my head exploded."{{cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/tv/netflix-after-life-3-yoga-22888105|title=Netflix After Life 3: The yoga teacher was a salesman until Ricky Gervais spotted his TikToks|website=Wales Online|last=Withers|first=Emily|date=27 January 2022|access-date=25 July 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/ricky-gervais-casted-one-of-his-superfans-in-after-life-series-3-20220115|title=Ricky Gervais Casted One Of His Superfans In After Life Series 3|website=LadBible|last=Shepherd|first=Rebecca|date=15 January 2022|access-date=25 July 2023}} Anderson-James' videos also caught the attention of Emily Atack, who cast him in her eponymously titled comedy series, as her love-interest "Fit Jason".{{cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/news/technology/ricky-gervais-cast-tiktok-comedy-sensation-cole-anderson-james-new-third-after-life-netflix-series-1182434|title=Cole Anderson-James: Meet the TikTok comedy sensation Ricky Gervais has cast in After Life|website=i News|last=Williams|first=Rhiannon|date=4 September 2021|access-date=25 July 2023}}

Later in 2022, Anderson-James appeared as Darren in the BBC comedy Murder, They Hope, alongside Johnny Vegas and Sian Gibson.{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/murder-they-hope-season-2-cast-exclusive-newsupdate/|title=Stars revealed for Murder, They Hope season 2 with Johnny Vegas|website=Radio Times|last=Cremona|first=Patrick|date=30 June 2022|access-date=25 July 2023}}

Filmography

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
2010 \| The Big I Am \| Stinger \|rowspan="2"\| Uncredited
2011 \| Mercenaries \| Deano
2016 \| The Contract \| Simon \|
2020-2021 \| The Emily Atack Show \| Fit Jason \| 8 episodes
rowspan="3"\| 2022 \| After Life \| Yoga instructor \| Series 3 episode 6
Murder, They Hope \| Darren \| Series 2 episode 1: Can't See The Blood For The Trees
At The End Of The Day (It's Not That Funny) \| Shop keeper \| Video

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2010

| The Big I Am

| Stinger

|rowspan="2"| Uncredited

2011

| Mercenaries

| Deano