James Moore

James Moore gained household recognition when he joined the cast of Emmerdale last year playing fan favourite Ryan Stocks, the long-lost son of Charity Dingle. A year later he won Best Newcomer at the National Television Awards. 

Though James had always wanted to act the lack of parts for disabled actors made him hesitant about trying to make it a career. He joined the National Youth Theatre, starring in a production of Romeo and Juliet. Shortly after he signed with YAFTA agency and then came the Emmerdale part. 

Though the character Ryan Stocks was written as having cerebral palsy, Emmerdale decided to script which type based on the actor cast. James worked closely with the scriptwriting team to create the character, and his experiences of ataxic cerebral palsy, authentically. Accepting the National Television Award James spoke about the significance of his casting in a mainstream soap, let alone winning an award voted for by the public.

James is such a household name that even a haircut made it to some newspapers, but he approaches the public scrutiny with humour. When some people complained they couldn’t understand his speech, James shared a screenshot on Twitter of how to turn on subtitles. Subtitles are something he also joked about in spoof documentary Spaghetti Legs which he co-directed and starred in. James is also a musician and an activist.

James says: “Growing up with a disability, I wish I had the self-confidence that I do now to know that if you push yourself, it is possible to get where you want to be in life. Be strong, know your worth and don’t settle or compromise. Sometimes it can seem like an uphill battle, but really that’s just part of the journey – nobody’s travel through life is a straight line.”