James Marsters

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Birthday:

20 August 1962, Greenville, California, USA

Birth Name:

James Wesley Marsters

Height:

175 cm

James graduated from Davis High School and attended Juilliard, the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and the American Conservatory Theatre. After spending ten years doing stage work he finally moved to L.A. to pursue a career in film and television. After appearing in several guest roles he finally got his big break as Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997). Originally the character was suppose to be killed after a few episodes but Spike became so popular that he became a regular on the show. After the show ended he appeared as Spike in the spin-off Angel (1999) and in several movies. James is also a talented musician; his band Ghost of the Robot released their first album, Mad Brilliant. Show less «

All I wanted when I came on the show was a good body count and a good death. That's all.

[on his British accent in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)] "I patterned the accent after this guy I was in a play with, but that was three y...Show more »

[on his British accent in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)] "I patterned the accent after this guy I was in a play with, but that was three years ago. Now I'm listening to Tony Head [Anthony Head; Giles in "Buffy"], who sounds kind of like Spike in real life. It's much more tough-guy talk in real life. His accent [as Giles] is just as fake as mine. His is nice and gritty, but it's not North London. I'm always afraid that I'm morphing over into Tony Head, wherever he's from." Show less «

"It's just me and a guitar, so I'm not going to be doing a lot of Smashing Pumpkins. I do Tom Waits, Neil Young, Bob Dylan. That's all the g...Show more »

"It's just me and a guitar, so I'm not going to be doing a lot of Smashing Pumpkins. I do Tom Waits, Neil Young, Bob Dylan. That's all the good stuff, man. That's when they had good songs written for just voice and guitar. I wish I could do Johnny Lee Hooker (John Lee Hooker), but I'm not that good." - on his acoustic performance at 14 Below, Santa Monica on 29th August 2000. Show less «

Chekov man, it's all the same thing. Chekov and Buffy the Vampire Slayer - it's all about beautiful losers.

(on getting the part of Spike) "I walked in there thinking I was the s***, swaggering around, among other Spikes...and I got up in the middl...Show more »

(on getting the part of Spike) "I walked in there thinking I was the s***, swaggering around, among other Spikes...and I got up in the middle of the room with all these Spikes, and started doing Shakespeare. They all pulled back, and I told them, 'Can't do that? Good luck in there.' It was MY role. I took it by the throat." Show less «

Sex is part of the human experience and if you are going to be an actor and a storyteller to tell human stories, that's going to be part of ...Show more »

Sex is part of the human experience and if you are going to be an actor and a storyteller to tell human stories, that's going to be part of it because, frankly, it's the central thing in all our lives. Show less «

I am a lucky regional theater actor who happened to get a good role.

Within the walls of these conventions, I am Leonardo DiCaprio...when I step out of that situation, I am just another actor.

[on his role as Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) and Angel (1999)] "This job is so far beyond any expectations I had. I mean, I'm on...Show more »

[on his role as Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) and Angel (1999)] "This job is so far beyond any expectations I had. I mean, I'm on a postage stamp in Russia [issued in Karakalpakia, a region within the former Soviet Socialist Republic of Uzbekistan]. There's no way you can plan for that. You just have to sit back and giggle and go, 'Oh, wow.'" (2 May 2004) Show less «

[on his role as Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)] "Joss Whedon said to me, 'If you think you are taking over the show, you have got ...Show more »

[on his role as Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)] "Joss Whedon said to me, 'If you think you are taking over the show, you have got another think coming.' He said, 'You are here only because I don't want to kill a villain off every week. I want my villains to be more interesting and multifaceted and then die.'" (May 2, 2004) Show less «

[on the ending of his role as Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) and Angel (1999)] "David [David Boreanaz] and I are from theater. We'...Show more »

[on the ending of his role as Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) and Angel (1999)] "David [David Boreanaz] and I are from theater. We're used to shows being really wonderful and then they're over. You have to be able to reconcile that or everything's sad. Yeah, it was a fabulous job, wow. I've had great jobs before and I'll have other great jobs in my future." (2 May 2004) Show less «

[on whether he would be interested in returning his character Spike to the Angel (1999) universe:] "I have no idea what's in the future - bu...Show more »

[on whether he would be interested in returning his character Spike to the Angel (1999) universe:] "I have no idea what's in the future - but what I do know is that I play a vampire, and the clock is ticking on how long this face can be believably exactly the same as when we met him [seven years previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)]. If they want to do something, let's not wait too long." (10 May 2004) Show less «

[on being cast as Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)] "The character was supposed to die in three to five episodes. We did three and I...Show more »

[on being cast as Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)] "The character was supposed to die in three to five episodes. We did three and I didn't die. We did two more and I didn't die. In the script for the fifth episode, I got conked on the head with an organ, and said, 'Well, that's it - I'm dead.' Then they sent me another script and I was back. It was a pleasant surprise that I didn't die, because I was fully expecting to. All I really wanted was a good body count and a good death, but lo and behold, I got a career." (May 2000) Show less «

[on Anthony Head] "I can't say enough about Anthony - he is one of the better actors I've ever worked with. He is the shit. He does the heav...Show more »

[on Anthony Head] "I can't say enough about Anthony - he is one of the better actors I've ever worked with. He is the shit. He does the heavy lifting for the show with all that exposition. Every week he has to convince us that the world is going to come to an end again and again. He's got to talk about the Box of Tathor or the Talisman of Nigeria or whatever and sell it. He has to give it weight so it doesn't seem repetitious. He does that every time so well. And I knew Spike was a cool character when Anthony said so. So I had always wanted to do a scene with him." (May 2000) Show less «

[on getting cast in Angel (1999)] "I danced a jig when they invited me back. I love doing Buffy and Angel [Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) a...Show more »

[on getting cast in Angel (1999)] "I danced a jig when they invited me back. I love doing Buffy and Angel [Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) and Angel (1999)]. You get to hit people, man. On Angel, the creators are the same guys [Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt] as on Buffy. David Boreanaz, of course, was there too. I was nervous the first day that I shot "Angel" because I had only played Spike on Buffy once in about two years [Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Lovers Walk (1998)]. In fact, I had to review tapes to find the character again. But once I got on the set, I was in full vamp makeup, fighting David again. So it really felt like old times." (1999) Show less «

[about Episode 6-19, "Seeing Red," the scene in which Spike tries to rape Buffy:] That was the hardest day of my life. I have turned roles d...Show more »

[about Episode 6-19, "Seeing Red," the scene in which Spike tries to rape Buffy:] That was the hardest day of my life. I have turned roles down because they are rapists. It's something I don't even want to watch. If I even click on it on TV, I have to click it off or I'll put my foot through the screen... What you see on that screen is just my terror at having to do that scene. There's not really any acting going on and I haven't watched the scene. I've seen little clips. You know, 'previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.' They show it sometimes and I'm always like, 'Oh, God.' ... The writers are fabulous, but when I showed up on set that day I told them: 'Sometimes you guys just don't know what you do. You just do not know what you're asking us...' I'm proud of it artistically, but as a human being I never, never, never want to do a scene like that again and I will always refuse because I know what it does to me. [United Press International, June 11, 2003] Show less «

I don't know much about the internet, I'm afraid.

I don't have a computer - I don't like to get into it that much 'cause it can screw with your head a little.

I have not, just because -- see this brings up a very interesting thing, I don't have a computer, because it so -- it's like bourbon, going ...Show more »

I have not, just because -- see this brings up a very interesting thing, I don't have a computer, because it so -- it's like bourbon, going to a fan site you know, it makes you feel so puffed up about yourself and so cool, and I promised myself when Joss asked me to come on the show as a regular, I hung up the phone after screaming like an idiot and then like I didn't even pretend to be cool, I sat down and I was like 'okay, I'm gonna be getting a lot of money, I'm gonna be getting a lot of fame, but the most important thing is if I can keep from becoming an asshole'. Show less «

What I noticed was that when I go on the Internet, or used to, my head would swell. Why am I an actor? God knows but some of it has got to b...Show more »

What I noticed was that when I go on the Internet, or used to, my head would swell. Why am I an actor? God knows but some of it has got to be the need for acceptance and stuff, right? So I'm just drawn to that stuff like honey and at some point I just had to say, 'James, get off the 'Net, go back, clean your toilet.' Now I find I'm like a mentor to the guys in the band because they're tasting it now too. And I'm like, 'Charlie, get off the Internet. Get off your fan site now. You're losing it.' And he's like, 'Yeah, boss, right.' Show less «

[on the difference between playing Spike in _"Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)_ and playing Brainiac in Smallville (2001):] One important thi...Show more »

[on the difference between playing Spike in _"Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)_ and playing Brainiac in Smallville (2001):] One important thing is that Brainiac is always smiling. He's so good at what he does, he's enjoying himself... He's a very intelligent character. Spike was not stupid, but I don't think his hallmark quality was vast reserves of intelligence - charm, good hair, maybe, but not intelligence. And this man is very good at lying, which Spike never was. [October 15, 2005] Show less «

[on hearing of plans to bring the Spike character back for a third WB series] As long as I could do it within, say, the next four or five ye...Show more »

[on hearing of plans to bring the Spike character back for a third WB series] As long as I could do it within, say, the next four or five years. Past that, I'm too old. Spike's a vampire, man, and I've got high standards - you have to believe that the guy has not aged since we met him. There's a little poetic license, but I don't want to get into a situation where the script says, "Well, he was drinking pig blood and he aged." (March 3, 2005) Show less «

[on refusing to take his shirt off for fans at conventions] Nobody was interested until the episode when I kissed Buffy, then wham. (March 2...Show more »

[on refusing to take his shirt off for fans at conventions] Nobody was interested until the episode when I kissed Buffy, then wham. (March 29, 2005) Show less «

About his Millennium appearance: I was really honored because I noticed that the lead, Lance, I noticed him in Alien 2, you know, and he bro...Show more »

About his Millennium appearance: I was really honored because I noticed that the lead, Lance, I noticed him in Alien 2, you know, and he broke my heart. In that movie, I mean, how can you break a guy's heart in the middle of all that blood? You know, but he's really one of the best actors we have. And I went on [Millennium] and the whole crew, the show is a lot like Buffy in that it strays toward cinema. It tries to be as good as a movie, and what that means is that everyone works really hard. This is the joke name of Buffy in Hollywood: Buffy the Weekend Slayer. Because we start at 4:00 in the morning on Monday and we leave the set about 6:00 in the morning on Saturday. And with Millennium, it's just that much. The joke about Millennium was that there's two shots for every shot that they use. They shoot many more set-ups than they even cut to. And everyone was apologizing to me: 'Sorry we're not nicer, we're just kinda stressed out right now.' And, I don't know, I've never seen people work harder and be nicer about it, and I was honored to be on the set frankly. Show less «

Regarding which of his own stunts he does and does not do: I don't fall. If my feet leave the floor, that ain't me.

(on John Barrowman in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang] He's got so much energy. He's just like the character! He's very intelligent. He's a natural born...Show more »

(on John Barrowman in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang] He's got so much energy. He's just like the character! He's very intelligent. He's a natural born leader. He'll save you if you need to be saved. If you need help he'll go out of his way to make sure you're ok as he did with me. I blew a stunt and I was bleeding through my costume the next day but I didn't want anyone to know that I'd blown the stunt the night before. So he got his personal doctor to come and stitch me up and get me all ready to shoot, so that the producers didn't have to find out. Show less «

[on Sarah Michelle Gellar being "Team Angel"] "Well, I have to say, I really messed with her a lot, so perhaps there's more to her choice th...Show more »

[on Sarah Michelle Gellar being "Team Angel"] "Well, I have to say, I really messed with her a lot, so perhaps there's more to her choice than just what happened on the show, I grew up as a subversive artist, and you have to be so polite to the lead on a film all the time - whether they're nice or not - so something about that stuck in my craw and I would, sometimes, lovingly mess with her. It's mean, but I couldn't help myself. So, maybe I understand why she said that." Show less «

[on being turned down for a role in True Blood (2008)] It was the first time I was willing to play another vampire (...) I was gonna have to...Show more »

[on being turned down for a role in True Blood (2008)] It was the first time I was willing to play another vampire (...) I was gonna have to fight one of the leads [possibly Alexander Skarsgård] and I was just like, 'I wanted to go to the director and say, 'Uh, Mr. [Alan] Ball, I kind of make my bread and butter by fighting tall guys. Ask Tom Welling, ask David Boreanaz, ask John Barrowman, you know? That's kind of what I do." Show less «