James Bland (actor)

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James Bland
Born
James Bland

(1985-11-15) November 15, 1985 (age 38)
Occupation(s)Actor, writer, director, producer
Years active2017–present
Notable workGiants
Websitejames-bland.com

James Bland (born November 15, 1985) is an American actor, writer, director, and producer based in Los Angeles, California. He is known for his work on the web series Giants.[1]

Career[edit]

Giants[edit]

Bland created, writes, produces, and stars in the web series Giants alongside Sean Samuels and Vanessa Baiden.[2] After writing the first season, Bland created an Indiegogo campaign to crowdfund the series. Issa Rae and actor Jussie Smollett subsequently came on board as executive producers.[3] The series premiered on Rae's YouTube channel on January 25, 2017.[4] A second season premiered on the same channel in 2018.[5] Giants has since been acquired and released for streaming on BET+.[6]

Bland worked on several other series before writing Giants, and following the success of Rae's Awkward Black Girl, he felt inspired to make his own series. Giants has won numerous accolades.[7] In 2018, the series won the award for Best Drama Series at the 8th annual Streamy Awards.[8] In 2019, the series received 11 Daytime Emmy Award nominations, winning two.[9] At the 10th annual Indie Series Awards, Giants won a record-breaking seven awards,[10] in addition to receiving the most nominations that year (19).[11]

The series was profiled by Forbes and has received praise from the media for its depiction of mental illness in the African American community.[12][13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Parker, Najja. "Web series encourages black millennials to face their 'giants'". ajc. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  2. ^ Ifeanyi, K. C. (2018-04-13). ""Giants" Is The "Very Black" Digital Series Everyone Should Watch". Fast Company. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  3. ^ "Issa Rae And Jussie Smollett Team Up For New YouTube Series 'GIANTS'". Vibe. 2017-01-16. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  4. ^ "Issa Rae And Jussie Smollett Team Up For New YouTube Series 'GIANTS'". Vibe. 2017-01-16. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  5. ^ "Unapologeticly Black digital web series, 'GIANTS' goes beyond entertainment - TheGrio". TheGrio. 2018-04-25. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  6. ^ Hatch, Jasmond (2020-11-11). "Award-Winning Show "Giants" Comes to BET+ and Creator Hints at a Movie". QG. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  7. ^ "Giants". giantstheseries.com. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  8. ^ "8th Annual Nominees". The Streamy Awards. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  9. ^ "Giants Cleans Up at Daytime Emmys, Takes Home Outstanding Lead Actress and Outstanding Supporting Actor". The Grapevine. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  10. ^ "10th Annual Indie Series Awards Winners". INDIE SERIES AWARDS. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  11. ^ "10th Annual Indie Series Awards Nominations". INDIE SERIES AWARDS. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  12. ^ Obie, Brooke. "Up Next: How S&A's 2019 RISING Award Winners Are Finding Their Place And Building Community In Black Hollywood". Shadow and Act. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  13. ^ "Giants: A YouTube Series That Tackles Mental Health and Masculinity in the Black Community". The Grapevine. Retrieved 2020-12-17.

External links[edit]

James Bland at IMDb