For actor and UNHCR goodwill ambassador Theo James, the global refugee crisis is rooted in a personal story, according to an article by Michael Lee, in koreajoongangdaily.joins.com.
His grandfather, then a young medical student in Athens during the Nazi occupation, fled by rowing across the Aegean and later found safety in Damascus. “It’s become a kind of legend, one that’s always been part of my family history,” James said during an interview at the UNHCR office in Seoul. “My grandfather and 12 other young men commandeered a little rowing boat… and they almost drowned many times.”
The parallels between his grandfather’s journey and that of modern refugees became clear to him when Syrians began fleeing their country in 2011. “My grandfather was in the same literal and metaphorical boat as refugees today,” he said.
James, known for “Divergent” and “The White Lotus,” began supporting UNHCR in 2016 and became a global ambassador last year. Through this work, he discovered his grandfather had also aided refugees after World War II. “He had been part of the teams that liberated some of the concentration camps… giving vaccines to refugees,” James said.
His mission, he explains, is “to amplify the voices of people who don’t get heard.” Field assignments have taken him to Mauritania, Jordan, and Greece, where he’s met people who have endured extreme hardships yet show remarkable resilience. He worries about growing anti-refugee sentiment, noting widespread misconceptions about why people flee.
James also highlights the increasing role of climate change in displacement, pointing to Mauritania as an example of how rising temperatures and desertification worsen refugee conditions.
As global donations to UNHCR decline, he sees advocacy and fundraising as essential. Filming in Korea this year, he praised the country’s development and strong humanitarian contributions, encouraging openness toward diversity.
Despite his demanding schedule, James tries to prioritize family life, calling the balance “a tricky balancing act.”
Source: koreajoongangdaily.joins.com
