From staying single to being an expert in the galaxy far, far, away, Love on the Spectrum U.S. cast member James has an interesting background.
Netflix's trending docuseries tackles the love stories of people on the autism spectrum as they navigate the complex world of dating.
Love on the Spectrum U.S. brings back several cast members from Season 1, and one of them is Renaissance Fair fanatic James Jones, who has Asperger syndrome.
4 Things to Know About Love on the Spectrum's James
James is Still Single
In Season 2, James went on two dates with a girl named Maggie. The pair had chemistry, but the postscript of the show's sophomore run confirmed that they decided not to continue their romantic relationship.
Speaking in an interview with Parade in January 2024, the 36-year-old cast member opened up about the breakup, confirming that Maggie told him that she "wasn't really feeling a spark of romance:"
"So after the filming ended, Maggie and I simply met up for dinner after work one day. And that was when Maggie said she actually wasn’t really feeling a spark of romance. She wanted to be only just friends. So I understood."
While admitting that he understood Maggie's decision, James pointed out he was "disappointed:"
"Of course, I was disappointed, but I understood. Thankfully, I had not had time to form any strong emotional connection or to make any emotional investment in her. It wasn’t a huge crushing heartbreak, which is good. I’m just fine. It was no problem."
James recalled another painful experience with a woman he had before joining the series, with him describing the situation then as a "pretty crushing heartbreak."
Thankfully, though, he admitted that he already moved on from the devastating breakup:
"I may or may not have talked about this in the first [season] or in other interviews. But a while back, before 'Love on the Spectrum' was ever a thing, there was actually the first time I ever felt strong feelings for a woman. Ultimately, she said she wasn’t interested, or she wasn’t ready for us. That was a pretty crushing heartbreak. But that’s well in the past. That was many years ago. I barely even think about it anymore. But yes, thankfully, I’ve not experienced any crushing heartbreak ever since that. Which is good, because I’ve not allowed myself to become emotionally invested in anyone unless it could actually be serious."
In Episode 1, James proudly said that he had been in at least 30 speed dating events to try and find the love of his life. He posited, "I really would like to have someone special with whom I can share the best moments of my life."
James' partner from Season 1 was Emma.
In a separate interview with TUDUM, the hopeless romantic revealed that he also dated a single mom after the show ended, but they broke up as well:
"I was dating a woman with two children, but she and I broke up, since I decided that I did not wish to be in a relationship with a woman who had children, so I am now single again."
One of James’ Favorite Movies is Fantasia
One of James' favorite movies of all time is Disney's Fantasia.
In a recent Instagram post from January 2024, James explained how Fantasia helped him in life, noting that it helped him "spark [his] interest in music."
The Massachusetts native also offered high praise for Fantasia, saying that it was "quite a groundbreaking film:"
"'Fantasia' is one of my favorite films, because it helped to spark my interest in music when I was younger, but it was also quite a groundbreaking film in how it explored new territories and did things that no previous films had ever done."
James even campaigned for a third Fantasia movie, telling his viewers that Walt Disney originally envisioned the franchise as a "continuous work that would be different each time it was viewed:"
"Walt Disney had originally envisioned that 'Fantasia' would be a continuous work that would be different each time it was viewed, but that idea never became a reality, as it took sixty years for a sequel to be made, and it has now been 24 years since the sequel was released, so I wonder if Disney shall ever make a third 'Fantasia' movie, or, if they do not, if another studio shall make their own film that combines animated video with audio of popular or classical music."
Aside from Fantasia, James is also a huge fan of animation as evidenced by his Instagram posts. In several Instagram posts, he talked about his fondness for Dragon Ball, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Lion King, Gargoyles, Reboot, and Bleach.
James Has Some Strong Star Wars Opinions
James is passionate about Star Wars. He has some strong opinions about the galaxy far, far, away, such as not being a fan of The Last Jedi's handling of Luke Skywalker.
He said on Instagram that the movie ruined Luke Skywalker because of how the character contemplated killing Kylo Ren over the mere possibility of him turning to the dark side, pointing out that is not how Luke "would've behaved in the original trilogy."
James was also "displeased" when Disney decided to reject the canonicity of the Star Wars Legends universe since he wants the House of Mouse to bring back Mara Jade, (aka Luke Skywalker's wife).
He described Mara Jade as "one of the best-written characters" in the expanded universe:
"Like many fans of Star Wars, I was displeased when Disney decided to discard nearly the entire expanded universe and start over, after they purchased Lucasfilm, but I am glad that they have, on occasion, re-canonized some elements of the original expanded universe, such as grand admiral Thrawn, so I dearly wish that they would re-canonize Mara Jade, because she was one of the best-written characters in the original EU, and I also dislike the fact that there is no indication that Luke ever had a romantic relationship in the new EU."
James Wants to Return for Love on the Spectrum Season 3
If the opportunity arises, James said in the same interview with Paradise that he wants to return for Love on the Spectrum Season 3.
While talking about the fact that the Australian version (the original) does not have a Season 3, James openly shared that he'd "certainly like to return," but he was contemplating it because he didn't want to make it look like he's self-centered:
"Well, there has not been a third season of the Australian version. So it’s not like season three of the American version. But I mean, I’d love to come back. But that just wouldn’t look good. I mean, I asked the crew if I looked like I was seeking attention by asking to return to the second season. They said no, I did not. But I almost certainly would look like a glory hound if I tried to return to TV. I’d certainly like to return. But that would definitely make me look self-centered."
James continued by being non-commital on the prospect of returning:
"So, in the chance of a third season, I probably will not return. I mean, I’d like to, but that just would not look good. It would make me look like I’m an attention seeker. I mean, there’s no guarantee they’d bring me back. But if they did bring me back, it would make them look like they were there playing favorites. I’m sure that they don’t want to be accused of playing favorites."
Where Can Fans Find James on Social Media?
For more updates about James, fans can follow him on Instagram (@jamesbjones87).
Love on the Spectrum U.S. Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
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