James Maslow

Gifted with natural talent, good genes and loads of charisma, there was no doubt that James Maslow was destined to become a teen idol. Even though he was born in New York, Maslow honed his acting and musical theater skills while growing up in Southern California. After appearing in local productions, Maslow turned his attention to Hollywood and quickly landed a guest-starring spot on the hit teen comedy series "iCarly" (Nickelodeon, 2007-12).

Maslow's appearance as the title character's crush on the show paved the way for the actor to land a starring role on "Big Time Rush" (Nickelodeon, 2009-13). The series followed four hockey-playing best friends from Minnesota who move to Los Angeles and trade in their hockey gear for a shot at music stardom. His success with "Big Time Rush" launched Maslow's career not only as a teen pop sensation, but also as a versatile and marketable entertainer with leading-man potential.

James David Maslow was born on July 16, 1990 in New York City and raised in the seaside town of La Jolla, CA. The future star began vocal training at the age of six after his parents enrolled him in the San Diego Children's Choir. Maslow made his theatrical debut with a minor role in San Diego Opera's production of "La bohème" at the age of 10, followed by intensive training at the famed La Jolla Playhouse.

Maslow attended the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts until mid-way through his sophomore year, when he transferred to Coronado School of the Arts in nearby Coronado. There, he took courses in the musical theater department and graduated in 2007. The following year, Maslow made his onscreen acting debut with a guest appearance on "iCarly," which starred Miranda Cosgrove as a popular teen Web personality. On the popular tween program, he played a geeky yet attractive young man who catches the eye of Carly and her best friend Sam (Jennette McCurdy).

In 2009, Maslow was cast in the Nickelodeon live-action series "Big Time Rush." He played James Diamond, a hockey-playing teen from Minnesota who ends up moving to Los Angeles with his three best friends (Kendall Schmidt, Carlos Pena, Logan Henderson) and forming the pop group Big Time Rush. Maslow's character was the group's "pretty boy" who often kept his headshots handy and a comb tucked firmly in his jacket.

However, the boys discover that their road to stardom is filled with plenty of hilarious misadventures, girl troubles and internal conflicts. The show's debut episode drew in a record-breaking 7.1 million viewers, which made it the network's highest rated premiere in history. "Big Time Rush" also featured guest appearances from other celebrities, including rapper Snoop Dogg and Pussycat Dolls vocalist Nicole Scherzinger.

The series received mixed reviews initially, with some critics describing it as a poor attempt at recreating Disney's success with the Jonas Brothers. However, the boy-next-door charm of the cast and original songs featured made "Big Time Rush" a hit with tween viewers. The show's success landed Maslow and his co-stars on high-profile events such as "The 2010 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" (NBC) and in the made-for-television film "Big Time Christmas" (2010).