Jimmy Tatro

1.1. Childhood and education

Tatro was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, where he developed a passion for basketball and engaged in comedy classes. During his high school years, he started creating comical videos with his friends. He continued this creative endeavor while studying at the University of Arizona. Tatro was also a member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity during his time at the university. He ultimately left college during his junior year to pursue his burgeoning career in entertainment.

1.2. Early career beginnings

Tatro's early career began with performances in stand-up comedy. He toured across the country, performing at various comedy clubs and college campuses, honing his comedic skills and stage presence. His professional acting career commenced in 2013 with a minor role in a major film, which set the stage for his subsequent appearances in both film and television.

2.1. YouTube presence

Tatro established his YouTube channel, LifeAccordingToJimmy, in either 2010 or 2011, collaborating with his creative partner, Christian Pierce. The channel became widely known for its sketch comedy videos. As of the source information, the channel has garnered over 3.4 million subscribers and more than 728 million video views. Earlier figures from January 2017 noted over 2.68 million subscribers and 300 million video views, indicating significant growth over time. Tatro is deeply involved in the production of his videos, taking on roles as a writer, producer, and director for each sketch. The channel has featured numerous celebrity appearances, including Angela Kinsey, David Henrie, Alexander Ludwig, Emily Osment, Darin Brooks, Milo Ventimiglia, Riff Raff, Pauly Shore, and Liliana Mumy. In 2014, LifeAccordingToJimmy was recognized on New Media Rockstars' Top 100 Channels list, ranking at No. 92.

2.2. Film roles

Tatro's transition into feature films began in 2013 with a minor role in the Adam Sandler comedy Grown Ups 2. He then appeared in the 2014 film 22 Jump Street, playing the character Rooster alongside Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. In 2015, he provided a voice for the English dub of Air Bound.

His filmography continued to expand in 2016 with roles in Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland, the film adaptation of Blue Mountain State, and Boo! A Madea Halloween as Sean. He also appeared in Internet Famous and FML, portraying Bobby Fellows. In 2018, Tatro was seen as Lance Stonebreaker in Super Troopers 2 (credited as James R. Tatro) and voiced Thorp in the animated comedy Smallfoot, marking his second collaboration with Channing Tatum.

A significant role came with Camp Manna in 2018, where he co-starred with Gary Busey as Clayton Vance. Vance is depicted as "the epitome of Christian cool" and the leader of the Righteous Regiment cabin, admired for his charisma and ability to "win souls." Despite his polished exterior, Vance is portrayed as insecure, willing to lie, cheat, and manipulate, even attempting to trick the character Ian into his cabin to secure his fifth consecutive "God Games" title.

Further film appearances include Richie Sandusky in Stuber (2019), Jim Boy McCarden in Bad Education (2019), Firefighter Savage in The King of Staten Island (2020), and PJ Palfrey in The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020). He continued voice acting as Lights Out McGinty in Rumble (2021) and Bill in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2022). In 2023, he took on the role of Troy Rubinsky in Theater Camp, also serving as an executive producer, Young Bert in The Machine, and voiced Finn the Rottweiler in Strays. In 2024, he appeared as Xander Sanders in The Real Bros of Simi Valley: The Movie, a project he also directed and co-wrote. He is set to appear as Dixon in You're Cordially Invited in 2025. Upcoming projects include roles in Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice (currently filming), California King (in post-production), and Action #1 as Brian (in post-production).

2.3. Television and web series

Tatro has maintained a strong presence in television and web series. His primary web series, LifeAccordingToJimmy, has been ongoing since 2011. In 2013, he appeared as a Thug in the "Tim Burton's I'm Batman" episode of Homemade Movies. Other early appearances include a voice role in a 2015 episode of Lucas Bros. Moving Co. and hosting an episode of Betch in 2016. The Indonesian source also lists an appearance as himself in Almost Royal in 2016. In 2017, he was a passenger in the "Drive Share Black" episode of Drive Share.

A breakout role for Tatro was Dylan Maxwell in the first season of the Netflix Original series American Vandal (2017-2018). This show is a mockumentary that satirizes the popular true-crime genre, such as Netflix's Making a Murderer. The series explores the aftermath of a costly high school prank involving vandalized cars and focuses on the mystery of proving Maxwell's innocence. Tatro reprised his role as a guest in season two.

From 2017 to 2020, Tatro played the lead role of Xander Sanders in The Real Bros of Simi Valley, a series for which he also served as co-creator, co-writer, director, and executive producer. The second season of the show, initially premiering on his YouTube channel, later aired on Facebook Watch. In 2018, he had a main role as Bodhi in the second season of The Guest Book and appeared as Paul Boneson in an episode of Angie Tribeca. He also had a recurring role as Bill in six episodes of Modern Family from 2018 to 2019.

Tatro's other television credits include Gideon in a 2019 episode of Charmed and Sergeant Shuck in three episodes of Tacoma FD from 2019 to 2020. He provided voice roles for Mitch in seven episodes of Fast & Furious Spy Racers (2019-2021) and Leaf (Bucky) in The Mighty Ones (2020-2022). In 2021, he had a main role as Hal in The Now.

From 2021 to 2023, Tatro starred as Connor in the ABC sitcom Home Economics. In the show, he played a wealthy owner of a private equity firm who moves closer to his two siblings, one of whom is middle class and the other financially struggling. The show was cancelled after three seasons in 2023. Tatro also directed one episode of Home Economics. More recently, he appeared as Officer Kleyes in an episode of The Afterparty in 2022, provided the voice for Trey in a 2023 episode of HouseBroken, and voiced Cool Kid #1 in a 2024 episode of Family Guy and Skyler in a 2024 episode of Monsters at Work. In 2018, Tatro was slated to star in the NBC pilot Bright Futures, but the show was later cancelled, and the pilot episode remained unaired.

2.4. Other endeavors

Beyond his acting and YouTube career, Tatro has also engaged in various other professional activities. He has toured the country performing stand-up comedy, showcasing his skills in live performance. Furthermore, for many of his own projects, including his YouTube sketches for LifeAccordingToJimmy and the web series The Real Bros of Simi Valley, Tatro has taken on multiple creative roles as a writer, director, and executive producer, demonstrating his comprehensive involvement in content creation.

4.1. Film

4.2. Television and web series