James W. Bates. Writer: Power Rangers Samurai. James W. Bates was born on 16 May 1970 in Camden, New Jersey, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for Power Rangers Samurai (2011), Power Rangers Megaforce (2013) and Roswell Conspiracies - Die Aliens sind unter uns (1997). He has been married to Karen L. Bates since 23 May 1998.