James Rekart attended high school with Val Kilmer, graduating with classmates Kevin Spacey and Mare Winningham.
He got an agent straight out of high school starting in the business by doing commercials.
He began studying the craft of acting extensively with famous top film acting coach Charles Conrad, in the Meisner Method of acting. Conrad called him "a natural".
He next studied under James Best at the well-respected acting workshop James Best Theatre Center, where the primary purpose was to teach actors how to act for motion picture and television camera. It was there he met Gerald McRaney who encouraged him to take classes with the legendary famed actor/teacher Jeff Corey. He auditioned for Corey and was immediately accepted into his Professional Actors Workshop where Corey taught the Stanislavski Method technique. (Jeff Corey and Charles Conrad were the two main and most prestigious acting teachers based in Hollywood).
He has furthered his acting skills with Stuart K. Robinson, who is widely regarded as one of Los Angeles' top professional acting instructors at Robinson Creative Lab Actor's Studio, The Groundlings and much more.
