James Mercer

Acting
1970-12-26
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Biography

James Russell Mercer (born December 26, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the founder, vocalist, lead songwriter, and sole remaining original member of the indie rock group The Shins. In 2009, Mercer and producer Danger Mouse formed the side project Broken Bells, for which they released a self-titled album in March 2010, followed by After the Disco in 2014, and then Into the Blue in 2022. He also has acted, appearing in Matt McCormick's feature film Some Days Are Better Than Others, which premiered in 2010.

Known For & Full Filmography9 Titles

#1Saturday Night Live

Drama Series - 1975, 16 episodes as Self - Musical Guest

6.9 / 10
ComedyNews

A late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The show's comedy sketches, which parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, and features performances by a musical guest.

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#2Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

Drama Series - 2007, 16 episodes as Self (The Shins)

7.1 / 10
Comedy

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! is an American sketch comedy television series, created by and starring Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, which premiered February 11, 2007 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim comedy block and ran until May 2010. The program features surrealistic and often satirical humor, public-access television–style musical acts, bizarre faux-commercials, and editing and special effects chosen to make the show appear camp. The program featured a wide range of actors, spanning from stars such as Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Will Forte and Zach Galifianakis, to alternative comedians like Neil Hamburger, to television actors like Alan Thicke, celebrity look-alikes and impressionists. The creators of the show have described it as "the nightmare version of television."

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#3Kulturzeit

Drama Series - 1995, 16 episodes as self

4.7 / 10
Talk

An outstanding performance featuring brilliant storytelling, high stakes drama, and unforgettable character arcs.

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#4Garden State - The 20th Anniversary Concert

Movie - 2025, 2h 15m as Self - Performer (The Shins)

7.3 / 10
MusicComedyDocumentary

Be a part of The Garden State 20th Anniversary Concert. This one night only musical event features songs from the iconic Grammy Award-winning soundtrack that defined a generation. Watch performances by the original artists including The Shins, Iron & Wine, Frou Frou, Colin Hay, Thievery Corporation, Remy Zero, Cary Brothers, Bonnie Somerville, and Sophie Barker from Zero 7. Plus more special guests. Whether you remember the first time you heard “New Slang” or the emotional pull of “Let Go,” this is for fans of the film and music alike and is not to be missed.

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#5Light Tiger Eye

Movie - 2009, 2h 15m as Man

8.8 / 10
Drama

A short film about color identification.

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#6The Elephant 6 Recording Co.

Movie - 2023, 2h 15m as Self

6.3 / 10
DocumentaryMusic

The unique inside story of the collective creative evolution behind the sounds of 1990s psychedelic rock bands Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, and The Apples in Stereo — the founding groups behind the Elephant 6 collective, as well as a host of other artists — with inspirational resonance for today’s music makers, and music lovers everywhere.

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#7From the Basement

Movie - 2009, 2h 15m as Self - The Shins

6.0 / 10
MusicDocumentary

First DVD release from this refreshingly basic UK music programme puts the music in the foreground with an impressive role call of acts. With sparse production and no filler (no host, no audience, just artist centre stage), From The Basement's eclectic line-up reads like a contemporary alternative who's who; The White Stripes, Sonic Youth, Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Albert Hammond Jr., The Shins, Beck, Damien Rice, José González, Super Furry Animals, Eels, and more.

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#8Some Days Are Better Than Others

Movie - 2011, 2h 15m as Eli

4.4 / 10
Drama

Some Days are Better Than Others is a poetic, character-driven film that asks why the good times slip by so fast while the difficult times seem so sticky. The film explores ideas of abundance, emptiness, human connection and abandonment while observing an interweaving web of awkward characters who maintain hope by inventing their own forms of communication and self-fulfillment.

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#9From The Basement

Movie - 2009, 2h 15m as Self - The Shins

8.8 / 10
DocumentaryMusic

From The Basement features intimate live performances from some of the finest musical artists. No hosts, no studio audience, instead the artist and their performance take center stage

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James Mercer - Movies & TV Shows | XFlix | XFlix