Once upon a time, circa 2003, a cheeky British lad lived in the hearts and minds of teen girls everywhere.
Raven-haired dreamboat Oliver James was shaping up to be one of the biggest heartthrobs of his time, starring across from mega teen stars Hilary Duff and Amanda Bynes.
Then he disappeared from the limelight entirely.
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After starring turns in teen, rom-com hits, What A Girl Wants and Raise Your Voice, Oliver James took a step back from the spotlight.
Now, 20 years since What A Girl Wants hit our screens, we want to know what happened to our teenage crush.
How do you know Oliver James?
For such a recognisable face, James only really had two massive hit films.
In 2003, he received his major breakthrough as Ian Wallace in What A Girl Wants. James played the love interest to former Nickelodeon child star Amanda Bynes. The film, about an American teen, Daphne (Bynes), discovering she’s actually the daughter of a British lord (Colin Firth, of course).
While in London to reconnect with her long-lost father, she meets hostel-worker and aspiring rock star Ian Wallace (James) and the pair embark on a romantic fling.
Following What A Girl Wants, James nabbed another role as a love interest to a former child actress. He appeared in the 2004 film Raise Your Voice opposite Lizzie McGuire herself, Hilary Duff.
In Raise Your Voice, Duff and James’ characters attend an elite performing arts school in LA. James plays songwriter and guitarist, Jay, who helps Duff’s character, Terri, find her feet in her new school.
Following this, James starred in a direct-to-DVD film, Without a Paddle: Nature’s Calling, and in a handful of tv shows, including British series The Innocence Project.
James’ last listed work as an actor was in two episodes of a factual series Dark Matters: Twisted But True, where he played real life figures from scientific history.
Where is Oliver James now?
Nowadays, Oliver James keeps a low profile. He has long left Hollywood and the entertainment industry all together.
Now 42 years old, James – who goes by his real name Oliver James Hutson – is a trained therapist and mindfulness practitioner.
He operates a practice south of London, in his childhood home town.
On his website, he states:
“My passion for personal healing and the wellness of our shared humanity is ultimately what led me to this vocation. It brings me great joy to offer this work in service toward the benefit of all beings.
“One of my strengths as a therapist and person, is that I am as engaged in peoples difficulty, pain, wounding, heartache and loss as I am in sharing their good fortune, growth, joy, happiness and wellbeing.
“My interest in spirituality and personal development are what anchors me in this life and I feel blessed to offer the work that I am passionate about.”
Who contacted James upon the 20th anniversary of What A Girl Wants but the former actor politely declined comment.
Is Oliver James in a band?
Oliver James is not in a band, and his musical career was brief but fruitful.
Prior to his acting career, James was in a boy band produced by former manager of the Spice Girls, S Club 7 and Amy Winehouse. However, he reportedly quit to appear in What A Girl Wants.
While depicting a musician twice onscreen, James had relatively little experience with the guitar.
Nevertheless, his own guitar skills and vocals appear in both What A Girl Wants and Raise Your Voice.
