James Sutton (actor)

James Sutton
Sutton in September 2007.
Born	James Cook (1983-01-31) 31 January 1983 (age 34) Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England
Known for	Hollyoaks (2006–2008, 2012–2017) Emmerdale (2009–2011) Bedlam (2012)

James Sutton (born James Cook; 31 January 1983) is an English actor, best known for playing John Paul McQueen in the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks on & off from 2006-2017 and Ryan Lamb in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale from 2009 to 2011. In an interesting twist, Suttons character in Emmerdale was in fact called Paul-John.

Sutton was born in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, the son Jeanette and Donald Cook. It is from his hometown that he derived the stage name "Sutton". He has a younger brother and two younger sisters. He grew up in Haughton, Staffordshire, and attended King Edward VI School in Stafford, Staffordshire. At the age of 14, he moved to Newport, Shropshire, where he attended the Burton Burough School. He went on to study drama at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.

Prior to Hollyoaks, Sutton had roles in the Dream Team spin-off Dream Team 80s, playing Terry Glover, and in Lynda La Plante's Trial and Retribution X, playing a character called Barry Milne.

In September 2006 he joined the cast of Hollyoaks as John Paul McQueen. During this portrayal, his character came out as being gay and started having an affair with his best friend, Craig Dean. The storyline was nominated for, and won, many awards. He left the soap on-screen in September 2008. In Sutton's first post-Hollyoaks role, he guest starred as Eli Taylor who suffered from Narcolepsy and Cataplexy on the BBC series Casualty, in the episode titled 'Doing The Right Thing' which aired 13 December 2008.