James Madio was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. At the age of thirteen, in his very first audition, James landed a role in the Steven Spielberg family adventure Hook and never looked back.

On the set of Hook, Dustin Hoffman was so impressed with his talent he suggested Madio for the role of his son in the film Hero. That same year, he appeared as the younger version of the title character in the independent film Mac, starring John Turturro (his directorial debut).

Madio's big break as a young actor came when he co-starred with Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg in the highly acclaimed film, The Basketball Diaries. After a number of independent roles, Madio found himself once again, on another Spielberg set, this time as a lead cast member in the Emmy Award-Winning HBO series, Band of Brothers. Portraying WWII hero Sgt. Frank Perconte. This would become a turning point in his career, putting him in the national and international spotlight in a timeless piece that continues to air today. Moreover, Madio continues to support U.S. troops by speaking at WWII Veteran engagements around the world. Madio's career has extended to behind the camera, having acted, produced and written several award-winning independent projects (both features and shorts). His short film AppleBox (of which he wrote, produced and starred in) has racked up several awards across the country and earned him 2 Best Actor Awards.

Other projects include - Clint Eastwood's Film Jersey Boys, Independents, The Box (which he co-produced) and Love Lies Bleeding, starring Christian Slater. Searching for Bobby D, West of Brooklyn, Dough Boys and The Grasslands. Madio played executed anarchist Nicola Sacco in the feature film No God, No Master. Madio’s T.V. credits include a recurring role on CW's Ringer, guest starring on Blue Bloods, Law & Order SVU, Castle, Bones, C.S.I: Miami, Cold Case and many more. His voice is also featured in the Dreamworks animated movie, Shark Tale (2004) and on the Call of Duty video game franchise.

* James is currently developing the story of pint-sized boxing legend Willie Pep and a T.V. series based on the notorious deformed mob boss, Giuseppe Morello.