Jim
Troesh is a master of self-promotion and reinvention. He first broke into
show business playing a quadriplegic law student on a single episode of "Highway to Heaven."
He realized right away that roles for a quadriplegic actor were few and
far between, so he taught himself screenwriting and sold his first story
to Michael Landon, the show's star and executive producer, and parlayed his role
into a continuing character that lasted three and a half years.
The
fame from the show not only took him across the country where he enjoyed a
celebrity lifestyle, a first for a quadriplegic, it also opened doors for
him to guest-star on other shows and in films. Many of his roles were
expanded for him based on his story suggestions to producers.
His
career took another turn after meeting improv guru Avery Schreiber. Jim
studied with him for the next five years. Armed with the skills he
learned from Avery, and three years studying and performing with
TheaterSports, Jim co-produced "The Moving Targets,"
a political
satire improv group, and toured Southern California for about a year and a
half.
Over
the next several years, Jim
appeared in productions of everything from Shakespeare to Tennessee
Williams, to hard hitting pieces by today's top playwrights. Jim
starred in and
creative consulted on "Special Unit" a Comedy Central sitcom pilot
starring Christopher Titus, and appeared in an episode of Boston Legal.
He also wrote the
recent theatrical release about a black Jesus, "Color of the
Cross," currently available on DVD.
 |
Bryan Cranston and Jim clown
around
between takes on the set of Jim's
upcoming TV pilot "The Hollywood Quad". |
Desiring
more control over his projects, Jim stepped into the producing role and
created the sitcom pilot "The
Hollywood Quad", a project he wrote, produced, directed and starred
in. He's already getting interest from networks and showrunners about his
unique show. The
bitingly funny sitcom guest-stars two-time Emmy winner Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Malcolm in the
Middle).
Jim was just
awarded the prestigious Michael Landon Award from the Media Access Office,
and won the career making ABC/Disney Writing Scholarship.
Jim is
a dynamic performer, a prolific writer, a public
speaker, and a skilled technical
consultant. His expertise in disability issues and how they relate to film and
television make him the perfect choice for filmmakers looking for
accurate portrayals of people with disabilities. With more than 20 years
in the forefront of the "disability movement," advocating for
himself and others, Jim has the experience, the know how, and the personal touch to
make him an asset to any set.
 |
Jim directs a scene with
"Hollywood Quad"
producer Tasha Hardy at his side. |
But, disability is only
one aspect of Jim's life, much like hair color or eye color. As a dad, a
brother, a husband, an ex-husband, a boyfriend, a best friend, an office
worker, and much, much more, Jim has more in common with
"ablebodied" America than one might guess at first glance. His
favorite roles to play are those that don't specifically call for a person
with a disability. A lawyer, a friend, a psychologist, a villain.
His acting and writing backgrounds are solid
after years of study with some of the top teachers in Los Angeles. He
currently works out at an advanced improv workshop led by Off
The Wall founder, Andy Goldberg.He's also written a number of industrial
videos, an award winning play, tons of sketch comedy scenes, and several
articles for such publications as Emmy Magazine, Script Magazine,
TelevisionWeek, and many other newspapers, magazines, and ezines.
He is a member of the
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and serves an a judge on the Blue
Ribbon Panel that chooses recipients of the Emmy Award.
Jim
became disabled as the result of a fall in high school.
