James Leland Walters Jr. (June 13, 1969) is an American actor and singer-songwriter who leaped into the public eye through a series of high-profile roles in prime-time teen dramas. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he moved to New York in his early 20s to study film and acting. After being discovered by a casting agent while attending college, Jamie Walters appeared in a series of commercial ads and then relocated to Los Angeles to pursue an acting and musical career. He made his official debut on the film Shout (1991) alongside John Travolta, Heather Graham, and Gwyneth Paltrow. He also contributed to the movie's original soundtrack with a performance of the song "Rockin' the Pad." A year later, Jamie Walters was cast as the lead role in the 1992 Fox musical drama The Heights, also lending his voice to the theme song "How Do You Talk to an Angel?" The track was released as a single shortly after the show's premiere and climbed to Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 later that year, receiving a nomination for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics at the Emmy Awards. Following a brief stint on the show Beverly Hills, 90210, he capitalized on his acting success by releasing his eponymous studio debut in 1994. Preceded by the Top 20 single "Hold On," Jamie Walters sold over 1 million copies and was certified platinum by the RIAA. A second full-length titled Ride appeared in 1997, followed by Believed in 2022. In subsequent years, he made an attempt to revive his career in the VH1 reality show Confessions of a Teen Idol (2009).
