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James Ortiz

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James Ortiz
James Ortiz at The Woodsman Off-Broadway Premiere at New World Stages (2016)
Ortiz in 2016
Born (1984-02-16) February 16, 1984 (age 42)
Albany, New York, US
EducationCollin College (attended)
State University of New York, Purchase (BFA)
Occupations
  • Puppet designer
  • puppeteer
  • director
Years active2010–present
Notable workThe Woodsman, Project Hail Mary
AwardsObie Award, Drama Desk Award
Websitejamesortiz.co

James Ortiz (born February 16, 1984) is an American puppet designer, puppeteer, actor and director working in theater, opera, and film. He won an Obie Award for puppet design for The Woodsman, and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Puppet Design for the 2022 Broadway revival of The Skin of Our Teeth. He voiced and operated the puppet for Rocky in the film Project Hail Mary.

Early life and education

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James Ortiz was born on February 16, 1984,[1][2] in Albany, New York, of Puerto Rican and Italian ancestry,[3] and grew up in Richardson, Texas.[4] He was introduced to puppetry by a touring marionette group. He built puppets in high school. He attended Collin County Community College,[5] where he designed puppets for a production of The Rocky Horror Show called The Rocky Horror (Puppet) Show. He then went to Purchase College, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting in 2010.[6][7]

Career

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Ortiz performing in The Woodsman in 2015

In 2010, Ortiz and classmates from the acting conservatory at Purchase College, including Jason Ralph whom he had met at Collin College,[8] founded the theater group Strangemen and Company.[9] With Strangemen, Ortiz co-conceived and developed the play The Woodsman, based on L. Frank Baum's Tin Woodman, which premiered in 2012 in Brooklyn. He co-directed and performed in the work, playing the title character, Nick Chopper.[10] The Woodsman had three off-Broadway runs, in 2014, 2015, and 2016;[11] Ortiz won an Obie Award for puppet design for the 2016 production.[12]

Ortiz's first job after college was with the British puppet theater Blind Summit and Tectonic Theater Project at the New Victory Theater as a puppeteer in El gato con botas (Puss in Boots). He has built puppets for Theatre for a New Audience and The New Group. In 2017, he designed the puppets for The Public Theater's Public Works production of As You Like It, which was remounted in 2022. With Public Works, he also designed the puppets for a 2019 production of Disney's Hercules.[6]

Ortiz designed the set and puppets for a production of Zémire et Azor he directed for Opera Saratoga in 2017.[13] In 2023, he directed, and designed the puppets and scenery for Leonard Bernstein's Candide at the Skylight Music Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[14]

Ortiz won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Puppet Design for the 2022 Broadway production of Thornton Wilder's play The Skin of Our Teeth. In 2022, his puppet designs also appeared on Broadway in a revival of Into the Woods.[15]

Working with designer Neal Scanlan, Ortiz led a team operating the puppet for the alien character Rocky in the 2026 film Project Hail Mary. During filming, Ortiz recited Rocky's dialogue for actor Ryan Gosling to play against, believing the lines would be replaced by a more famous actor, but directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller kept his performance in the film.[15] Rocky has been described as the "breakout star" of the film,[16] and Variety has reported that Ortiz's performance will be submitted for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor category.[17]

Ortiz has designed puppets for the Metropolitan Opera, including the 2024 production of John Adams's El Niño,[18] and the fall 2026 premiere of Missy Mazzoli's Lincoln in the Bardo, adapted from the novel of the same name.[12]

References

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  1. ↑ Ortiz, James [@jortface]; (February 16, 2024). "Big birthday today". Archived from the original on April 28, 2026. Retrieved April 28, 2026 – via Instagram.
  2. ↑ Collins-Hughes, Laura (June 29, 2022). "She'll Have You at Moo: Milky White and the Power of Puppetry". Theater. The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 31, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2026. Ortiz, 38, grew up in Dallas...
  3. ↑ Civita, Alicia (March 23, 2026). "EXCLUSIVE: James Ortiz Says He Built Rocky in 'Project Hail Mary' With Body Language, Trauma, and 'Latina Mom' and Italian Nonna Energy". Latin Times. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
  4. ↑ Durham, Alex; Meredith, Caroline (May 7, 2020). "6 Theatre Workers You Should Know". American Theatre. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  5. ↑ Churnin, Nancy (June 26, 2017). "With puppets and songs, the Dallas Theater Center prepares an all-new Robin Hood". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  6. 1 2 Snook, Raven (August 22, 2019). "Why 'Hercules' Needs Puppets of Mythic Proportions". Theatre Development Fund. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  7. ↑ "James Ortiz '10". www.purchase.edu. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
  8. ↑ Ralph, Jason (December 19, 2014). "The Tin Man Takes Shape off-Broadway Q&A". Our Town Downtown (Interview). Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  9. ↑ Wrappe, Megan (February 6, 2015). "'The Woodsman' Gives the Tin Man a Backstory (and a Heart)". American Theatre. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  10. ↑ Collins-Hughes, Laura (January 20, 2015). "Led by a Tender Heart, Before It Is Ripped Out". The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  11. ↑ Clement, Olivia (April 29, 2016). "The Woodsman to Conclude Acclaimed Run". Playbill. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  12. 1 2 Lang, Brent (February 8, 2026). "'Project Hail Mary' Casts Puppeteer and Performer James Ortiz as Rocky". Variety. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  13. ↑ Goepfert, Bob (July 9, 2017). "Bob Goepfert Reviews Opera Saratoga's Production Of "Zemire Et Azor"". WAMC. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
  14. ↑ Higgins, Jim (October 14, 2023). "Clever staging adds punch to Skylight Music Theatre's new production of 'Candide'". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  15. 1 2 Lang, Brent (March 20, 2026). "Bringing Rocky to Life: How 'Project Hail Mary' Puppeteer James Ortiz Created the Movie's Lovable Alien". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  16. ↑ Zuckerman, Esther (March 29, 2026). "How a Mistake Led to the Breakout Star of 'Project Hail Mary'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  17. ↑ Davis, Clayton (April 21, 2026). "An Oscar for Rocky? 'Project Hail Mary' Puppeteer James Ortiz Is Eligible for Best Supporting Actor (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  18. ↑ Zahr, Oussama (April 24, 2024). "Review: John Adams's 'El Niño' Arrives at the Met in Lush Glory". The New York Times. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
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