James Austin Kerr


James Austin Kerr is an American actor. An Edmond North High School graduate, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting and modeling. He has appeared in film and television projects including the series Queen of the South and the films Awake, 13 Minutes, and Dauntless: The Battle of Midway.

Early life and education

Kerr was born in Oklahoma City and attended Edmond North High School in Edmond, Oklahoma. Although he performed in a school production of Oklahoma! in the fifth grade, he did not pursue acting again until his late teens. He has described taking an acting class in Norman, Oklahoma, taught by casting director and actor Chris Freihofer, as a turning point in his decision to pursue the profession.

Career

After relocating to Los Angeles, Kerr worked as a model while continuing acting training. In a 2023 profile, he described booking modeling work for brands including Target and TJ Maxx while auditioning for roles.
Kerr has been credited in a range of film and television productions. He appeared alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the 2019 thriller Awake and had a role in the World War II film Dauntless: The Battle of Midway. His television credits include appearances on series such as NCIS, The Mentalist, and Criminal Minds.
In 2019, Kerr was named a Young Oklahoma Creativity Ambassador by Creative Oklahoma, an organization appointed by Governor Kevin Stitt to recognize creative contributors to the state.
In 2025, an okcFriday article about a screening of the independent Oklahoma film You People noted Kerr's role in the production. The article also noted additional screen credits including the feature film Reagan, as well as the television series Johnson and Sistas.

Filmography

Film

  • You People
  • Awake
  • Dauntless: The Battle of Midway
  • 13 Minutes
  • ''Reagan''

    Television

  • The Mentalist
  • NCIS
  • Criminal Minds
  • Queen of the South
  • Sistas
  • Johnson
  • ''A Thousand Tomorrows''