Krestalude, James                                                       * Home

1965(Vestal Central HS)                            1999(Hollywood)  

Jimmy can be reached at:

Bio from Jimmy, July 17, 2000 
Ok, fellow Vestalites, here goes. After I graduated from VCHS I attended Auburn Community College for one year. Then
I started to look at 4 years schools because I wanted to play football. My parents would not let me play in high
school, so I figured I'd do it in college. I got accepted at Wagner College in Staten Island, NY and fell in love with
its beautiful 80 acre campus overlooking New York City harbor. I earned my self a football scholarship by my junior
year and became a starter. In 1967 Wagner College were the Division III National Champions and I am proud to be a
member of that undefeated team. I graduated with a degree in history and political science. 

I then took a trip to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and fell in love with Louisiana. After working there for 9 months at
various jobs, I decided college was easier than working for a living, so back to graduate school I went. In 1973 I
received a Masters Degree in Speech and Theatre from Louisiana State University. I then went back to my alma mater,
Wagner College and worked as an admissions counselor for 2 years, afraid to try acting, my passion. I then got a job
in admissions at NYU, which lasted for one year. Bored to death with a desk job, I quit in 1976 to pursue a career in
acting. 

For the next 5 years I worked a ton of jobs (Santa Claus, selling Bake-A-Rounds, selling deferred annuities, had my
own apartment cleaning service, etc.). All the while I was taking acting classes and lessons to try and hone my craft. 
I did occasional summer stock and outdoor drama gigs. In 1981 I got a job at Tuesdays Restaurant in Manhattan. A year
later I moved to bartend at their jazz club, Fat Tuedays. It was some of the best years of my life. I heard great
music (jazz and other), met the greatest of jazz musicians ( Dizzy Gillespie, Les Paul, Ron Carter, Astrud Gilberto,
Kenny Barron--all knew me by name), met lifelong friends, made excellent money and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

I'm name dropping here, as you can see. All the time I continued my acting and did regional theatre, summer stock,
outdoor drama, off-Broadway plays, soap operas, a little bit of film and a few commercials. The 80's were good to me.

In 1991, my older brother, Paul died of AIDS. That was a very stressful and traumatic year for me. It is so diificult
to watch daily as your loved one just fades away. I needed a change.

In 1992, I headed for California, searching for Jan & Deans Surf City where there are 2 girls for every boy. I never
found it. I think it's near the Fountain of Youth. I collected unemployment for one year and just did theatre and
loved every minute of it. Reality began to again rear its ugly head and I had to get a job. One really does need money
to live in this world. Back to bartending. 

In 1993 I got a job at Marie Callenders and have been bartending there ever since. 

I continue to act. In the past year I did a play, a couple of soap opera jobs, a music video, had a part on one
episode of "Star Terk:Voyager," Played Lucky Luciano on E Entertainments "Mysteries and Scandals," and saw a film I did
a few years ago open at the New York Independant Film Festival. I haven't worked enough to make a financial living
acting yet, but I still have my dream and continue to pursue it. 

Never been married. There have been many women in my life, but I can't seem to hold on to any of them for more than
about 3 years. Something to do with this unstable acting thing and always working nights, I think. I'm still looking,
so if you know someone who's available...

Well, that's Jimmy the K's life in a nutshell since I left the hallowed grounds of VCHS in 1965. I've lived 53 pretty
good years and have at least 47 more to explore the rest of the world and the rest of my life. 100 is my goal. See ya
there!

Jimmy and Rich McLean mini reunion at a restaurant near Beverly Hills, October 2000:

  Commentator:  Bull              ,  Vanderlip       ,  Candace  7/16/2000

On Jimmy Krestalude's first kiss in third grade. She's honored and reading that made her day. Jimmy is also one of the guys who were always there from

the early days.

  Commentator:  Friend           ,  Friend           ,  Barb  5/22/2001

I just read Jummy K's bio and found it exquisitely poignant.  The way he described his brother, Paul's, death; the fountain of youth; Jan & Dean...so wry,

so innocent.

  Commentator:  Hatch            ,  Hasley          ,  Cora  11/12/2000

Talking about Jimmy: One of the best!  I found out from him at the 25th Reunion that he had a crush on me in the third grade, and I never knew it.  If I had

known it, I would have crushed back.  He's still a great lookin' guy!)

  Commentator:  Holden          ,  n/a               ,  Donald W.  8/24/2000

Don was a good friend of Jimmy Krestalude's back in 8th and 9th grades

  Commentator:  Ingraham        ,  n/a               ,  Craig  6/14/2000

speaking of back roads of Vestal, Jim Krestalude and I were recently wondering if "Shrub's View", the old parking spot on top of Bunn Hill, I

think it was, is stll extant? (thread continues on Dick McCoy's page…who wrote a remembrance of  backroads)

  Commentator:  Ingraham        ,  n/a               ,  Craig  1/17/2000

Among others I saw (at 25th class reunion) were Jimmy the K of course, Knute Seebohm, Jim Haley, Nikki Callahan (she & Jim are divorced & both

remarried to others), Barb Friend, Averill Clarke, Cora Hasley,

  Commentator:  Ingraham        ,  n/a               ,  Craig  12/5/1999

"I've been emailing Jim Krestalude since we ran into each other at home visiting the old folks this summer."

"Jim has done a much better job of staying in touch with our classmates than I, so I'll bet he'll have a wealth of info you can use

for the database."

"Jim just reconnected with his old heartthrob, Ann McCarty, too."

Jim, by the way, is pursuing his acting career in Hollywood - you can occasionally catch him in Star Trek episodes, the soaps,

etc.

  Commentator:  Ingraham        ,  n/a               ,  Craig  12/5/1999

I figure you'll be happy to hear that Jim & I did a lot of field trip research this past summer investigating our old saloon haunts -

are pleased to report that several, most notably the Choconut Inn and Sharkeys, apparently haven't changed one iota over the years, even down to the dirt

 on the floor

  Commentator:  Johnson(2)     ,  n/a               ,  William Michael (Mike)  1/8/2001

Jim and I spent a lot of time together as juniors and seniors, partly because we were both on the track and cross-country (stump-jumpers!) teams. Our little

brothers also were good friends.

I am so impressed that he went on and played football in college. The older I got, the less I wanted to have large men jumping on my head.

Actually I'm even more impressed that Jim went on to tend bar in a NYC jazz club, and even more impressed that that to learn that he decided to chuck it all

and go to Hollywood. Keep the pedal to the metal, Jim…

  Commentator:  Krestalude      ,  n/a               ,  James A.  11/29/2000

I only had a crush on the good looking girls.  I think that included just about all of them in our class.  I guess I just like women.  Ooh, la la

!!!!!!!!!  I just can't find one now.

  Commentator:  Krestalude      ,  n/a               ,  James A.  6/20/2000

Roundtop I've been to, but only to explore.  It used to be an old indian burial ground or something like that.  Making out on Jenkins Ave.?

are you wacky, Joanne(Sorber)?  I always made out in front of my parents to show that I wasn't hiding anything from them.  Very liberal family.

  Commentator:  Krestalude      ,  n/a               ,  James A.  5/30/2000

Remember when you used to do stuff like this (go out on dates)?  Never ever having settled down this is what my life is like most of the time.  Peter Pan

and I never want to grow up. Wish me luck .  I really would like to settle down with one woman.

Jimmy was scheduled for a first time "real" date with an Internet friend.

  Commentator:  Krestalude      ,  n/a               ,  James A.  5/21/2000

Oh, you would not recognize Vestal these days.  It is an extremely ugly town.  The Parkway is car lots, stores, malls, restaurants, etc. from 5 corners all the

way to Binghamton.

The area where the V Drive-In used to be is a huge, and I mean huge mall.  From African Road to the Vestal Steak House

is an awful display of Americana.  I always used to think Vestal was a quaint little upstate town.  Now, UGLY!!!!!!!!!!!!

The managers never put any kind of zoning into place.  Ugly signs all over.  No continuity in design or placement of stores.  Random placement of

everything.   My mother says taxes have not even gone down. They probably gave tax deferments for 20 years.

Traffic is horrendous!  Stoplights at every corner and they're those 2 and 3 minute lights.  They're not synchronized and if you don't hit them right, it can

take you 20 or more minutes to get to Johnson City from 5 corners.  UGH!

Everytime I go home I feel like writing a letter to the Supervisor and releasing my frustrations, but I never do.  I talk a good story.  OK, enough ragging on

Vestal.

  Commentator:  Krestalude      ,  n/a               ,  James A.  5/16/2000

I'm currently in our old town of Vestal.  I'm on vacation here for Mother's Day.  My brother and his family and myself took the mothers out to the Oaks Inn

in Endicott.  Do you remember it up on Oak Hill Ave.?

The food waws real good and a good time was had by all.

I barely remember the graduation ceremony.  Why?  I don't know.

I was reading all the messages people wrote in the thing (the yearbook).  Kinda nostalgic.  Lots o memories.

  Commentator:  Krestalude      ,  n/a               ,  James A.  4/26/2000

I just finished being in a play that ran for 3 weeks here in Los Angeles.  It was fun and I loved getting up on the boards again after 3 years.  I played an

Arabian prince ala Rudolph Valentino.  It came naturally to me. :)

I also shot an episode of "General Hospital" earlier this month.  I played an abusive father.  Since I'm not a parent,  I had to delve back into my psyche and

relive old Vestal memories of my father smacking ME around.  OUCH! It hurts!

  Commentator:  Krestalude      ,  n/a               ,  James A.  1/27/2000

 I just read about your bumming trip and saw the pix.  Cool trip!  I wish I had a woman I could do stuff like that with.  Bachelor life isn't always that exciting.

  Commentator:  Krestalude      ,  n/a               ,  James A.  1/27/2000

Are you a trekkie?  I was in the episode "Bride Of Chaotica."  I was the Alien guy dressed in 1930's garb, trying to rid the universe of Dr. Chaotica.

I got my last residual check of $8.62 last week.  I think that episode has had its run.  I was Lucky Luciano in the E! Entertainment's show "Mysteries &

Scandals" that aired last year.

I was a mafia guy last year on 'Days Of Our Lives."  That's all I did last year and that was early in the year.  Bad year!  I gotta bartend to pay them bills. I

want to QUIT!  AAAAAARRRRRGGGGH!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I'm being typecast as a mafia-type villian.  HMMMMM!!!  But I'm so sensitive!

I just bought a 1986 Mazda RX-7 2x2 that looks like it just came off the showroom floor.  It only has 72,000 actual miles on it.  It just cost  me

$1000 to get it in tip-top shape.

  Commentator:  Krestalude      ,  n/a               ,  James A.  1/27/2000

Now, I just have to finish refurbishing my 1951 Seeberg Select-O-Matic Jukebox.  It's all apart on my living room floor.  I just finished stripping it, sanding

it, filling it and priming it

Next, I will paint it candy apple red and then try to remember how to reassemble it.  Wish me luck.

  Commentator:  Krestalude      ,  n/a               ,  James A.  12/14/1999

     I've been an actor now for about 20 years.   I received my Masters degree in Theatre from Louisiana State University and then went on to work as an

admissions counselor at Wagner College and NYU

I then got up enough nerve to become an actor and have been poor ever since.  I bartend on a regular basis to pay the bills. I lived in New York City until I

moved out here in 1992.

I have done a lot of work, though, over the years---regional theatre, summer stock, off-off Broadway, TV, a few small films and a lot of

soaps.  My latest gig was on "Star Trek: Voyager" last spring

 I just got a new agent last week, so I hope to be getting bigger and better jobs.

I've never been married.  I leave that to the people who can better fulfill the roles.  I just broke up with a woman whom I lived with for 3 1/2 years and dated

since 1991.  Now, I'm looking again.

  Commentator:  Krestalude      ,  n/a               ,  James A.  12/14/1999

It's a lot harder to find women when you're at an older age.  I'm talking trunks, not just baggage (on both sides).  Maybe I never got over Martha Ann

McCarty.  Remember her?

Jimmy the K. now has Johnnie Morello (VCHS '67) as his roommate, who moved to Hollywood at about the same type that Jimmy's girlfriend moved out.

  Commentator:  Krestalude      ,  n/a               ,  James A.  4/12/1999

 Hey, it's late and this old body needs sleep to fight off a cold.  I turn 53 on Wednesday and I don't want to be sick.  53!  Did I say 53?

 Do people really get that old.  I never trusted anyone over 30, so I must be younger than that, right?  Beauty rest, I think that's what they call it.

  Commentator:  Parker           ,  n/a               ,  Charles  6/8/2000

Got out the old yearbook and seeing all the picture was pretty jolting, was I ever that young, were you? Got to say Jimmy Krestalude hasn't changed much,

 must have those 'Dick Clark' genes.

  Commentator:  Sorber          ,  Spohn           ,  Joanne  6/8/2000

Got a real nice letter from Jimmy the K8 today. Met a new lady in yoga class! Hope it works out for him...he deserves someone who will appreciate him & all

 his positive attributes.

There are SO many ladies out there who would LOVE a fella who is kind, considerate, sensitive, gentle, soft-spoken, etc.....unfortunately, there are justas

many who will walk all over a man like that. Hope he finds the right one.

  Commentator:  Steele           ,  Bender          ,  Jean Elizabeth  8/31/2000

On the prom  picture with Jimmy K: "Well, it indeed does say Sr. prom so it must have been.  And here I thought I went to the Jr. prom ( guess not) and not

 the Sr. prom.  I think it's sweet Jim still has the photo - I still have it, too.

I'm not sure anymore why we went to the prom together, but I do know we weren't dating.  He still looks very much the same, doesn't he?"

  Commentator:  Steele           ,  Bender          ,  Jean Elizabeth  7/10/2000

Jean went to the Junior prom with Jimmy Krestalude. Her mother made her prom gown and also Donna Owen's (and maybe Kathy Jones'?)

go to next classmate: next classmate