James Cretan, who is Filipino and Greek, was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He started in the film industry when he was 11 years old doing commercial and print work. While studying at California State University Chico, he landed a recurring role in Seasons 1-4 of 13 Reasons Why. After filming Season 3, he relocated to Los Angeles in early 2019 to continue his film career.

James has one sibling, Nina Cretan, who is also pursing a career in the entertainment industry.