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James Duval's career began when he was approached at a Los Angeles ice cream parlor by then underground director Gregg Araki, who was in the process of casting the first film of his teen angst trilogy, Totally F***ed Up. Duval won the role and made his feature debut in the cult drama. His screen presence and raw talent made a lasting impression on Araki, who then wrote leading roles for him in the second and third installments of the trilogy: The Doom Generation, with Johnathon Schaech and Rose McGowan, and Nowhere, for which Duval received critical acclaim. It was during the release of The Doom Generation that Duval became acquainted with director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin, who subsequently cast him in the role he is most often recognized for: Miguel in Twentieth Century Fox's blockbuster hit, Independence Day.

Duval will next co-star with Jeremy Sisto and Angela Bettis in the independent feature, May. He recently co-starred in the Touchstone feature Gone in 60 Seconds, co-starring with Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie, which Jerry Bruckheimer produced and Dominic Sena (Swordfish) directed. He will soon be seen in Donnie Dark, opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Drew Barrymore. The film debuted at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.

Duval stars in the independent feature The Doe Boy, which aso premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, in the American Spectrum section. Duval has also appeared in The Weekend with Gena Rowlands and Brooke Shields, Go with Katie Holmes, Scott Wolf, and Sarah Polley and SLC Punk with Matthew Lillard. Other film credits include Amerikana, How to Make the Cruilest Month, Lunch Time Special, Mod Fuck Explosion and Ambush of Ghosts.

On television, Duval performed in Araki's pilot for MTV This Is How The World Ends, Alexandria Hotel and in an installment of Mark Pellington's groundbreaking The United States of Poetry.

Duval was born in Detroit, Michigan and moved to Los Angeles at the age of two. He comes from a mixed ethnic background that includes French, Irish, American Indian and Vietnamese heritage. While growing up, Duval was trained as a concert pianist, and his passion for music remains a strong force in his life and work. He plays guitar and avidly collects obscure musical recordings.