Given the question: Facts: - spouse: joanna page -lrb- 2003 -- present -rrb- - children: 2 - birth date: 31 october 1975 - name: james thornton - occupation: actor , voice-over artist - birth place: bradford , england , uk - yearsactive: 1997 -- present Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of james thornton -lrb- actor -rrb- .
The answer is:
james thornton -lrb- born 31 october 1975 -rrb- is an english actor and voice-over artist .he is best known for portraying farmer john barton on the long-running british soap opera '' emmerdale '' from 2009 to 2012 .