James Edward Karnes was born in a rural area of Englewood, Colorado, in September, 1952.  When he was two weeks old, the family moved to Oregon, where his father worked in the construction industry, driving heavy equipment.  Jim was fairly independent as a child and on one occasion had wondered off, giving his family such a scare as to call the police who found Jim leaning off a bridge dropping worms into the river.  When asked what he was doing, he said that he was feeding the fishes.  In the first grade, Jim’s Mom received a phone call saying that Jim hadn’t made his way to school.  She went looking for him and found him in a field.  When Jim’s Mother approached him and asked him what he was doing, he said he was looking at a beautiful flower and showed her the flower.  Such was the depth of Jim’s sensitivity for all living things.

Jim’s father taught him to work hard, to be reliable, and to be honest.  Jim loves animals and enjoyed riding his horse.  He also has had dogs, cats, and pet ferrets.  In high school, he became good enough in the martial art, Kong Su Do as to be offered his own school of instruction by his Martial Arts Teachers.  In high school, he fell in love with Shakespeare and developed his passion for acting.  He became a member of the International Order of Thespians on his acting credit alone.  After high school, Jim joined the Air Force during the Vietnam War.  While stationed in Iceland, he fought a volcano on an island off the coast.  While stationed in Germany, he continued acting and began taking singing lessons, because people had told him he couldn’t sing. 

After serving his country, Jim became disenchanted with society and became a traveler of the road for five years, traveling to many destinations, and observing many colorful aspects of society.  After witnessing a man shot to death, he decided “This isn’t such a good idea.”

Jim worked 11 years as a certified counselor, on one occasion working in a prison.  He also acted and sang in little theater.  His favorite role was that of Jerry, the hit man in “Jerry and Tom.”  Jim’s first film work was in “Single Bars, Single Women.” 

A few years ago, Jim began an email correspondence with Australian opera singer John Davies.  That contact led to a prized singing lesson with Mark Oswald in New York, who told Jim his bass baritone voice was worth developing.  Jim then began studying with opera singer Richard Zeller in Portland, Oregon, traveling several hours from his home in Roseburg in Southern Oregon.  In Roseburg, he sang in a choir and was asked to sing a solo.  

Jim married his present wife, Genevieve, in 2006.  The following year they moved to the California desert near Palm Springs.  Jim managed a dry cleaning plant, working 75 hours a week until the owner closed the business.  Jim then decided to concentrate on his passion to be a professional actor.  He began doing background work, frequently getting out of bed at 1:00 in the morning, so he could be on the set early.  To be closer to his work, he and Geny moved to Los Angeles, making that the fifth address he has had in five years.  And that is where he intends to stay…unless the acting profession takes him elsewhere.