Hari James: From Athlete to Actress

Hari James never expected to appear on the big screen when she joined Atlantic Way CrossFit in 2015. 

For most of her life, James had been an athlete, competing in athletics from a young age. She continued to develop her athleticism after joining the police service when she was 23 years old and completed her CID exam to become a detective. 

CrossFit came easy to James with her athletic background, but she also noticed it helped improve her physique. She participated in her first CrossFit competition in 2016, the British Championships.

“I was basically bullied into doing that,” James says. 

After one of the workouts, while still catching her breath on the floor, James was approached by a casting agent who asked to take her measurements and some photos.

“On the Tuesday I was back in work, I had an email come through from the same lady, and it became apparent I was going to need some time off work,” she says. 

James spent the next few months on the set of “Wonder Woman,” where she was cast as Trigona, an Amazon warrior. She spent six weeks in the studio training for her role alongside actors such as Henry Cavill and Jason Momoa.  

“I remember Jason Momoa asking how to get abs like me,” James says. “It was quite nice that (the actors) would ask me questions about training because that is what I was there for.”

Although James planned to continue her job in the police service after filming, she was asked to continue with DC Comics to film “Justice League,” “Wonder Women 1984,” and “Jack Snyder’s Justice League.” She was six months pregnant while filming the second Wonder Woman. 

“I basically got paid to have the opportunity of a lifetime,” she says. 

James continues to promote body positivity and the importance of what women can do with their body as opposed to what it looks like. She is a role model not only for her own daughter but for young girls everywhere. 

“You don’t have to succumb to what the norm is on social media,” James says.