James Marsters

At 61 years old, James Marsters has this physical status:

James Wesley Marsters (born August 20, 1962) is an American actor, musician and voice actor.

He is best known for his role as the English vampire Spike in The WB series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off, Angel.

Since then, he has played the alien super villain Brainiac on the Superman-inspired series Smallville, Captain John Hart on Torchwood and terrorist Barnabas Greeley in Syfy's Caprica.

He appeared in a supporting role in the film P.S.

I Love You, as Victor Hesse in the Hawaii Five-0 reboot, Victor Stein in the Marvel series Runaways and as the voice of Zamasu in the Funimation dub of Dragon Ball Super.

Early life

Marsters was born in Greenville, California, the son of a United Methodist minister and social worker. He grew up with his brother, Paul, and sister, Susan, in Modesto, California. Dreaming about becoming an actor since he played Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh in 4th grade, Marsters joined the theatre group at Grace M. Davis High School and acted in many plays, including musicals. After graduation in 1980, Marsters studied at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California. In 1982, he moved to New York City to attend the Juilliard School, but was expelled from the program after just two years.

Personal life

Marsters is divorced from Liane Davidson, with whom he has one son, born May 1996. Since 2002, Marsters agreed to raise his niece and regards her as his daughter. In an interview in 2020, Marsters said that his daughter declines to be mentioned in his interviews, and that she has no interest in acting or show business. He stated that she is undertaking a PhD in Mathematics and that he is very proud of her.

It was announced on May 21, 2010, that Marsters had proposed to girlfriend Patricia Rahman in Trier, Germany. On January 14, 2011, they married in a private civil ceremony in Los Angeles. In February 2021, the couple filed for divorce after nearly 10 years of marriage.

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Acting career

In 1986, Marsters migrated to Chicago, where his first professional acting work was Ferdinand in The Tempest at the Goodman Theatre. He was brought naked to the stage in this play and turned around. In a podcast interview with Michael Rosenbaum about this experience and his other theatrical roles in a newbie interview. He has worked with well-known Chicago companies, including the Northlight and the Bailiwick, as well as his own group, the Genesis Theatre Company. In 1989, Marsters was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award for his portrayal of Robespierre in the six-hour drama In the six-hour drama Incorruptible: Maximilian de Robespierre's life, Death, and Dreams.

He and Liane Davidson and Greg Musick formed the New Mercury Theatre in Seattle in 1990 and formed it with Liane Davidson and Greg Musick. Marsters was active in several productions, including Teechers (a British play by John Godber), Anouilh's Antigone, an original work based on the Dr. Seuss books, and Shaw's Misalliance.

He started on television in 1992, in which he appeared in two episodes as both a bellboy and a church minister. He has appeared on television shows including Andromeda, Chance (2002), Winding Roads (1999), and USA Network's Cool Money (2005). He was involved in the restoration of House on Haunted Hill as a television cameraman in 1999.

He attracted the interest of the general public for his appearance as villain (and then anti-hero) Spike on the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (first appearing in season 2). He gave a London accent to the role and received informal guidance from English co-star Anthony Head for the role.

Spike was intended as a short appearance by creator Joss Whedon, who had initially opposed Spike's fame. "He made it very clear that he did not want the show to be taken over by another romantic vampire," Marsters told 411Mania, "to Joss, vampires were supposed to be ugly, vil, and quick to be killed"; Spike was supposed to be dirty and controversial, punk rock, and then dead." The massive fan response saved his character from being killed off, allowing him to appear throughout the second season. There were no plans to bring him back as a regular until Cordelia Chase was introduced to the spin-off show, Angel, and "they wanted someone to tell Buffy that they were stupid and about to die and they decided to bring me back." He was afraid he would not live long because he was a vampire, and he was unable to interact with the characters as often as Cordelia, but Cordelia said he would not live long as Cordelia. Rather, Spike will live to the end of the film and become Buffy's romantic partner.

Marsters converted Spike over to its spinoff, Angel, as a series regular in the fifth and final season of the series after the conclusion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Marsters were told not to worry about this because his return was supposed to be a surprise, but the network announced Spike's return as soon as it could in order to attract advertisers. During an episode of On Air with Ryan Seacrest in April 2004, Marsters had Spike's trademark bleached hair cut off for charity live on television.

When the show was cancelled, there were plans for several TV shows. Spike movies began in 2004 and Whedon didn't have plans until 2006 before it was officially cancelled. Marsters had said that if the play came within five years, he would only return to Spike, but that he would be too old to play the role (an immortal).

Marsters co-wrote a comic book one-shot for Dark Horse Comics, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike and Dru. After both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel ended, Marsters became involved with a canonical comic book collection of both shows focusing on his character. Dark Horse Comics released a canonical graphic novel set during Buffy the Vampire Slayer's seventh season, Spike: Into the Light, written by Marsters himself on July 16, 2014.

Marsters also narrated the audiobooks for The Dresden Files, a series of detective novels with a supernatural theme, and Side Jobs' short story collection in the same universe, Side Jobs. He did not record the Dresden book Ghost Story due to a scheduling clash, causing fellow Smallville alumnus and actor John Glover to record it; this prompted a notable public outcry among audiobook listeners. Cold Days was his first book that was not published. Jim Butcher revealed on March 24, 2015, that a new version of the Ghost Story audiobook would be published on April 21, 2015, with Marsters returning as the narrator in reaction to fan requests.

Shadow Puppets, a Marsters thriller film with Jolene Blalock in 2005, was released by the filmmakers in 2005. Marsters appeared in eight episodes during the show's fifth season, including Dr. Milton Fine, the well-known Superman villain Brainiac. In the seventh season, he revived his role as Brainiac in a four-episode series, and did a cameo voice-over in season eight. In the show's final season, he appeared in one episode. Marsters performed two performances of his own abridged version of Shakespeare's Macbeth with American actress Cheryl Puente as Lady Macbeth, as well as audience and acoustic concerts in London on October 29, 2005.

Marsters' interpretation of Godber's Teechers appeared on the Queen Mary in Los Angeles in September 2006. This is a play in which he had received critical acclaim for his work as a stage actor prior to his television appearance. Marsters co-starred in the P.S. cinematic release in 2007. Kathy Bates, Hilary Swank, and Gerard Butler appear in I Love You. Marsters appeared in Superman: Doomsday, the direct-to-DVD animated film that was released in September 2007, voicing legendary villain Lex Luthor. The film received mostly favorable feedback.

He appeared in Torchwood, a spin-off of the popular British science fiction television show Doctor Who, first appearing in the episode "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" as the nefarious time traveller Captain John Hart. In the last two episodes of the second season, he reprised his role.

In the live-action film version of the famous Dragon Ball manga and anime, directed by James Wong and produced by Stephen Chow, who was published worldwide on April 10, 2009.

The film Moonshot, which appeared on the History Channel on July 20, 2009, on the 40th anniversary of the 1969 moon landing. Buzz Aldrin is the protagonist of this film by Marsters. Barnabas Greeley, the terrorist leader in Caprica, was confirmed on August 19, 2009.

The Syfy Channel broadcasts Marsters' science fiction western, High Plains Invaders, in August 2009. Sam Danville is the protagonist of this alien invasion film by Marsters. Marsters will appear in Three Inches, a Syfy Channel series in August 2010, as a series regular portraying Troy Hamilton, a former government agent now leading a team of superheroes.

Marsters appeared in The Importance of Being Earnest, an L.A. Theatre Works radio program that premiered on June 24, 2011.

He appeared on Supernatural in the episode "Shut Up, Dr. Phil," which premiered on October 21, 2011 alongside Buffyverse co-star Charisma Carpenter. Bennett Sutton debuted in Warehouse 13, which debuted in 2013.

According to some reports, Marsters is the voice actor of Dragon Ball Super character Zamasu. Both Marsters and Dragon Ball Supervoice director Christopher Sabat revealed on October 2021 that he spoke to Zamasu under the pseudonym of David Gray. Marsters decided to play Zamasu in Dragon Ball Super at the request of Sabat himself and Sean Schemmel when they met during a convention. Marsters did so entirely for free in order to "redeem himself with the Dragon Ball Z community" after his appearance in the critically acclaimed film Dragon Ball: Evolution.

Musical career

Marsters had worked in bands and clubs for many years, and they had enjoyed several lucrative sell-out solo gigs at Los Angeles clubs before forming a band. He mainly performed covers of classic folk and rock artists such as Tom Waits, Neil Young, James Taylor, and Bruce Springsteen for these solo gigs. He performed in "In the Fire" and "Something to Sing About" and "Rest in Peace" entirely on his own as Buffy's musical episode, "Once More, with Feeling."

Marsters was the lead singer of the rock band Ghost of the Robot from 2003 to 2004. Mad Brilliant's debut album was released on February 2, 2003. The band appeared in Los Angeles and Paris for the first time. They went on to perform in and around Los Angeles, as well as two sold-out tours of Europe in 2003 and 2004. They released three singles ("Valerie," "David Letterman," and "New Man") as well as one mid-length EP, It's Nothing," in addition to Mad Brilliant. Marsters wrote and co-authored all of these books. Several of Ghost of the Robot's older songs were loosely based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters Buffy, Dawn, and Faith.

In London, Marsters' solo musical career was unveiled in October 2004. In April 2005, his solo acoustic tour of the United Kingdom sold out. Chris Rhyne and Andrew Rosenthal's latest solo album "Civilized Man" was released on April 15, 2005. Several new songs as well as the classic "Katie" and "Smile" are included in this collection. In Detroit, Houston, and Sacramento, he has performed songs from the album live. Marsters wrote ten of the eleven songs.

"Birth of the Blues," "Finer than Gold," "Louise," and "London City" are among the album's new solo songs that were not included on the album, but live solo concerts include "Birth of the Blues," "Finer than Gold," "Louise," and "London City." "Finer than Gold," "London City," and "Louise" were written when on tour in the United Kingdom in April 2005. When touring with his now-defunct band, Marsters' "Birth of the Blues" was composed in Amsterdam in 2004. Marsters performed additional new hits on his sets in October 2005: "Button Down Vandals," "Up On Me," and "All She Wanted" were among his "Button Down Vandals" and "All That She Wanted" during his mini-tour of the United Kingdom. These songs were only available as part of his recently released Words and Music DVD, which includes his abridged version of Macbeth as well as a full solo music performance.

During his September 2006 convention, James Marsters & Friends performed many new songs, including "The Truth Is Heavy," "Fall of Night," "Jealous Woman," and "Not A Millionaire." All these songs refer to his new blues music and folk sound. In addition, he performed a cover version of Keb Mo's classic "Baby Blue." He appeared live in the United Kingdom several times in 2007 and performed two new songs in Cardiff. A more upbeat light folk move in Marsters' music is represented by "Layabout" and "Looking at You." These songs, as well as some of his previously unrecorded work, were released on Marsters' second solo album, which was released in Los Angeles and Cardiff in October and November 2007. Like A Waterfall is a compilation of twelve songs by Marsters. The majority of the shows had been performed and recorded live, but not in the studio. An exception is "When I Was A Baby," a song that has never been seen in public.

Like A Waterfall was produced by Ryan Shore and stars many others, including Blair Sinta, who has played for Alanis Morissette, and Five for Fighting bass player Curt Schneider. Marsters' Waterfall Tour came to the United Kingdom in 2008. He appeared in three dates around London and appeared for three days in Milton Keynes. Like a Waterfall, the live at the Union Chapel in Islington was an acoustic set with songs from his album.

He returned to the Union Chapel on May 1, 2009, as well as a "Marstersclass" function at The Drill Hall in London on May 2. A sold-out performance included a live concert, Q&A session, and multiple opportunities to get autographs and photographs. He appeared at the London 100 Club on May 3, 2009.

When the band Ghost of the Robot reformed in 2010, James' music career continued: they've since released the album B-Sider, which is also available on iTunes. Murphy's Law, which is also available in iTunes, was released in 2011. Multiple other EPs are also available on the iTunes Store.

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