James Ortiz signs with Artists First after Project Hail Mary role
Project Hail Mary actor and puppetry artist James Ortiz has signed with Artists First for management, according to Deadline.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
James Ortiz Artists First is the new pairing in Hollywood management: the multi-hyphenate performer behind Rocky in Project Hail Mary has signed with the company, Deadline reported.
Ortiz, whose work spans acting, design, performance, playwriting and directing, joins Artists First for management while continuing to be represented by CAA and Viewpoint, according to Deadline.
The move follows Ortiz’s co-lead turn in Amazon MGM Studios’ sci-fi film Project Hail Mary, where he played Rocky, an alien made of rock who appears opposite Ryan Gosling’s Ryland Grace, Deadline reported.
The film, adapted from Andy Weir’s novel, was directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Deadline described the movie as a spring box office standout and reported that it has earned more than $683 million worldwide. It is now streaming on Prime Video, according to the outlet.
Who is James Ortiz?
Ortiz is a stage and screen artist whose résumé runs well beyond acting, Deadline reported. His credited creative lanes include puppet design, devised theater, movement-driven performance, writing and directing.
Before Project Hail Mary brought him into a major studio sci-fi release, Ortiz built a strong reputation in theater. Deadline reported that his best-known Off-Broadway work is The Woodsman, which earned him a 2016 Obie Award for puppet design.
He has also been recognized for Broadway and Lincoln Center projects. According to Deadline, Ortiz won a 2022 Drama Desk Award for the large dinosaur puppets used in Lincoln Center’s Tony-nominated production of The Skin of Our Teeth.
His Broadway work also includes the 2022 revival of Into the Woods, where his take on Milky White became a fan favorite, Deadline reported.
What was James Ortiz’s role in Project Hail Mary?
In Project Hail Mary, Ortiz played Rocky, the alien companion to Gosling’s Ryland Grace, Deadline reported. The story follows Grace, a middle school science teacher who is recruited by the U.S. government for a mission in space.
The role placed Ortiz inside one of the year’s major genre releases, with the film passing $683 million at the worldwide box office, according to Deadline. Its Prime Video availability also gives the performance a second life with streaming audiences.
Deadline also reported that Ortiz was the 2017 recipient of a Eugene O’Neill residency and received Jim Henson Foundation grants in 2015 and 2019.
Ortiz is a co-founder and co-artistic director of Strangemen & Co., a devised theater group, according to Deadline. The outlet reported that he continues to develop original and adapted work built around theatricality, movement theater and puppetry.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.