Adele James' Parents Are of Different Races – Six Facts about the 'Queen Cleopatra' Actress

Adele James discovered her passion for acting, presumably as a teenager in high school, after participating in an all-female school production of "Kes." With her mother's support, she studied and honed her craft before branching out to share her talents with the world and her knowledge with other avid dreamers.

Although Adele James has come a long way since the beginning of her career, little is known about the actress's background. After delivering a rivetting performance in her school production, "Kes," it has been said that her mother proclaimed she'd found her calling.

She debuted onscreen, portraying Lauren in the 2014 five-minute drama "One Minute." Two years later, she played Lisbeth in another short titled "Who I Am." As the years progressed, she made several appearances in more film shorts and took brief roles in TV shows.

Her longest-running role was Christina "Tina" Mullen in the decades-old British soapie "Casualty," between 2020 and 2021. In 2020, she dabbled in voice acting, lending her voice to Orana in the sci-fi adventure video game "Beyond a Steel Sky." More recently, she was cast as Queen Cleopatra in the upcoming docu-series of the same name. Still, James is talented in several other ways.

Adele Became Interested in Acting from Her Childhood

After displaying interest in an acting career as a child, she enrolled at the University of Bristol and attained a Bachelor of Arts Honors. James also honed her craft at Richmond College and graduated in 2012. Last year in February, she returned to the latter school to speak to the Level 2 Performing Arts students about breaking into the industry.

Adele James Is a Screenwriter

Her earliest writing credit, for which she won "Best Screenplay" at the 2018 Strasberg Film Festival, is the short drama "Last Call." Two years later, she wrote and produced the five-minute film "Post-You, Me" and penned an episode for the mini-series "The Corona Connections."

Adele James Has a Sister

It's unknown who James's sister is, as she doesn't appear to have an official Instagram account, but the two clearly have a close bond. In September 2020, James posted a photo of herself posing with her mom and sibling in a restaurant. The three smiled beautifully alongside the caption, "Squinty eye smile gang [yellow heart emoji]."

Adele James Is Very Committed to Fitness

With an active social media presence, James often updates her followers on how she stays in shape. The fitness enthusiast not only exercises in a gym but also engages in yoga and pole dancing. Now and then, James will document her progress and her struggles as she trudges forward in fitness.

Adele James Is a Coach to Actors

James launched her coaching agency, Step Into The Room, to cater to the needs of anyone dreaming of being an actor. Along with an Instagram page, her business has a website listing all her services, including audition coaching, career development coaching, and industry mentoring.

In her website's "Meet Adele" section, James delved into why she decided to help actors reach their desired heights. "I became an actor because I have always been curious about people and an avid dreamer," she wrote. She added that her mission was to help actors "boss the business side of acting and smash their auditions too."

The budding star said she knew "first-hand" the costs of chasing such a dream and the sacrifices that come with it. But through her experience, she acquired the "secrets" to gaining recognition in the industry. Still, James' success did not come without naysayers.

Many opposed her casting in "Queen Cleopatra" (produced by actress and Will Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith), as the show's director, Tina Gharavi, came under fire for "blackwashing" the late Egyptian ruler. In response, she wrote a lengthy op-ed pointing out, among many other discrepancies, the cultural appropriation in 1963's "Cleopatra," who was then portrayed by white actress Elizabeth Taylor.

Adele James Has a White Mother and Black Father

Many recognize James as Black, which somewhat overshadows her White side. She admits that she doesn't have a problem with being recognized as such but also understands that she is "just wholly" her and doesn't deny any part of herself.

James is mixed race as her mother is White and has a Black father. She has spoken about race on many occasions, as it influences her daily life.

Speaking to Glamour magazine, James noted, "The world is an unfair place, I think, for anybody who is not white. That's really sad. But I hope that at least through my work, I can try and tip the scales a little bit more in the other direction."

James is proud of her mother, whom she calls the most amazing woman in her life. She celebrated her on International Women's Day in 2019, praising her work in improving the quality of other people's lives.