James Maslow, best known for his role as James Diamond in the hit Nickelodeon series, Big Time Rush, and as a member of the boy band of the same name, shows no signs of slowing down as he focuses on various projects outside of music.
Beyond the stage, the singer, actor, and model has been expanding his creative portfolio with Unbound, an unscripted adventure series that launched on YouTube. The series follows Maslow, 35, as he travels around the globe, teaming up with experts, athletes, celebrities, and creators to tackle once-in-a-lifetime, high-intensity experiences while showcasing the beauty of different destinations.
Previous episodes have included learning Hollywood stunt techniques alongside his friend Spence and taking on the rough waters of Hawaii, where world champion waterman Zane Schweitzer taught him how to windsurf.
At CMA Fest 2026, Maslow reflected on what the series has taught him, both on and off-camera, telling Music Mayhem, “I mean, the general favorite thing that I’m learning with Unbound is shooting a YouTube series. I built up my own production company, and we’re learning every time we shoot.”
“There are episodes that I look at and go, ‘Dang, the story arc wasn’t there. Dang, that fell flat,” he admitted, adding that “each time it’s getting better.”
As far as where he’s been to shoot the high-adrenaline series, Maslow shares, “So we shot in the United States, we’ve shot in Asia. We’re going to go over and shoot in the Middle East and in Israel. After that, I think we’re going to go to South America.”
“…I’ve been all over the world and with Unbound, I’m going to keep going all over the world and of course with touring as well and I want music, I want entertainment, I want adventures like we’re doing in Unbound to showcase the beauty of this planet we live on and hopefully bring some people together,” he continued. “If I showcase it from a place they’ve never been to and they go, ‘Wow, that’s amazing.’ That’s a conversation starter. You don’t get a lot of examples to do just that unless you travel someplace. So that’s the thing that I’m continuing to learn, to be grateful for, and I promise the show is and will get better. It’s working its way out.”
The global adventures are just one example of a busy 2026 for the entertainer. Since finding fame in Big Time Rush in his early years, he has continued to immerse himself in various projects that he’s committed to, including making his recent country music debut during CMA Fest. Aside from launching his solo country career, Maslow revealed he’s also developing an ambitious passion project that combines publishing and filmmaking.
When asked what remains on his career bucket list after succeeding as an actor, singer and performer, Maslow pointed to a project called Model Life, saying, “The only one that I’ll talk about of a slate of things I’ve been trying to develop and get made is a movie and a book, a fictional book that we’re doing in parallel with the script called Model Life.”
“The script is done, and it’s fantastic,” he revealed. “We’re out there now looking for financing, and if everything goes even part way to plan, we’ll get that financing probably shot next year. The goal is for me to lead it. I wrote a character that is in the country world, lives in Montana, that I think again just runs parallel with all these other things that I’m doing. So I will mention Model Life and hey, if you’re [reading] this, think good thoughts that we can get that baby made and maybe the first to many of producing and starring in my own projects.”
