James Marsden

Birthday: 18 September 1973, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA

Birth Name: James Paul Marsden

Height: 178 cm

James Paul Marsden, or better known as just James Marsden, was born on September 18, 1973, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, to Kathleen (Scholz) and James Luther Marsden. His father, a distinguished Professor of Animal Sciences & Industry at Kansas State University, and his mother, a nutritionist, divorced when he was nine years old. James grew up with his four other siblings, sisters, Jennifer and Elizabeth, and brothers, Jeff and Robert. He has English, German, and Scottish ancestry. During his teen years, he attended Putnam City North High School which was located in Oklahoma City. After graduating in 1991, he attended Oklahoma State University and studied Broadcast Journalism. While in university, he became a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.While vacationing with his family in Hawaii, he met actor Kirk Cameron, and his actress sister, Candace Cameron Bure. They eventually invited James to visit them in Los Angeles. After studying in Oklahoma State for over a year and appearing in his college production, "Bye Bye Birdie", he left school and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his interest in acting. James got his first job on the pilot episode of The Nanny (1993) as Eddie, who was Margaret Sheffield's boyfriend. He then became part of the Canadian television series, Boogies Diner (1994), which aired for one season. After that series ended, he got a brief role as the original Griffin on Fox's Party of Five (1994). His first big break came when he became the lead on the short-lived ABC series, Second Noah (1996). Although the show didn't last long, the young actor received enough exposure from the public and even managed to win the hearts of fellow teenage girls. In 1996, he attended an audition for a movie titled Primal Fear (1996) but unfortunately lost that role to Edward Norton. Two years later, he was offered a lead role in 54 (1998), which he turned down. The role later went to another actor, Ryan Phillippe.James' star power increased when he starred in David Nutter's Disturbing Behavior (1998), alongside Katie Holmes and Nick Stahl, which had mixed reviews, but mostly positive ones. His role in the television series as Glenn Foy in Ally McBeal (1997), is probably one of his biggest achievement to date. He became one of the main cast members during the first half of season 5, where he showcased his singing abilities. It was in that show where he was able to grab the attention of audiences from different backgrounds. The 5' 10" star later played Lon Hammon Jr. in the romantic movie, The Notebook (2004), which was based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks of the same name. His movies, The Alibi (2006) and 10th & Wolf (2006) was also released around the world to audiences in the year 2006. One of his most memorable roles to fans is his role as Cyclops in the X-Men (2000) movie franchise. The movie was well accepted by audiences and critics, which eventually made James one of the hottest stars since it was released. He was among the actors who starred in all three of the X-Men movies. James had the honor of working alongside Patrick Stewart, Famke Janssen and Hugh Jackman in the film. However, not many people know that he actually had to wear lifts for most of his scenes in the X-men movies, because his character Cyclops is supposed to be 6" 3" compared to a 5' 3" Wolverine. In reality, he is actually under 6' 0", shorter than Famke Janssen who plays his love interest, Jean Grey, and even shorter than Hugh Jackman who played Wolverine.In the year 2006, he played Richard White in the highly anticipated movie, Superman Returns (2006), which coincidentally was directed by Bryan Singer, who also directed previous X-Men installments. Although he appeared in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), the third installment of the X-Men franchise, many would notice that he in fact had more screen time in 'Superman Returns', as Lois Lane's long awaiting fiancé who had to accept the fact that his fiancée is in love with the man of steel. James earned great reviews from that movie, which led to him getting more movie roles. In 2007, James played Corny Collins in the film Hairspray (2007), an adaption of the Broadway musical based on John Waters movie, Hairspray (1988). He joined a star-studded cast, starring alongside top names such as John Travolta, Queen Latifah and Michelle Pfeiffer. James not only acted in that movie, but also sang two of the film's songs, "The Nicest Kids In Town", and "Hairspray". Being part of Hairspray catapulted James to a different level of stardom as audiences got to see another side of him. His next role was in the Disney movie, Enchanted (2007), playing Prince Edward, where he acted alongside Amy Adams, Susan Sarandon and Patrick Dempsey. Once again, James had the opportunity to sing in two songs from the movie, "True Love's Kiss" and "That's Amore". Enchanted (2007) appealed to not only older audiences but also to those who were fans of Disney's network productions. Following his huge success in the years 2006 and 2007, James played the male lead role in the romantic comedy, 27 Dresses (2008), opposite actress Katherine Heigl in 2008. The movie did well at the box office, earning a gross revenue of over $159 million, which exceeded the expectations of crew members especially since it was under a $30 million budget.Marsden played the male lead in the horror film, The Box (2009), based on the 1970 short story "Button, Button" by author Richard Matheson. He starred opposite Cameron Diaz in the movie.He co-starred in Accidental Love (2015) (previously Accidental Love (2015), a politically-themed romantic comedy, directed by David O. Russell and filmed in Columbia, South Carolina. Marsden's recent film roles include the sequel comedy Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013), the romantic drama The Best of Me (2014), and the comedy Unfinished Business (2015).James was married to Lisa Linde, an actress known from her role in Days of Our Lives (1965). Lisa is the daughter of legendary country music songwriter Dennis Linde. The couple wed on July 22, 2000 and have a son, Jack Holden Marsden who was born on February 1, 2001, and a daughter, Mary James, who was born on August 10, 2005. They divorced in 2011. James has another son, born in 2012, with model Rose Costa.Many would assume that with all this success achieved by James at this age, he would be somewhat high-headed but James mentioned that despite all the attention he's getting from the public eye, he tries to keep himself as grounded as possible. He even admits that he flies coach instead of first class while traveling with his family. In an interview he mentioned that he believes he has a certain responsibility to let his children know that he isn't special because of what he does, but who he is as a person. With a great humble attitude and a bright future ahead of him, there's definitely more to expect from this Oklahoma native. Hide

(2011, on the challenges of filming Hop (2011)) This was certainly the most difficult technical proc Show more (2011, on the challenges of filming Hop (2011)) This was certainly the most difficult technical process that I've been through. It's hard enough to just be a good actor. When you're on set, there's everything going against you. There are walkie-talkies going off, the camera is creaking and moving, there are boom mics, and you have to hit your mark and make sure you don't shadow the other person's face. It's a really technical process. It's difficult because you're there to bring life to a scene and make it feel natural and normal, when all these other things are going on. And then, you subtract a co-star from that, where you're actually talking to nobody and you're looking at little pieces of green tape...I've never been more prepared, in my life. I knew that I couldn't afford to not know my lines and not know where my mark was. I had to know all of Russell Brand's lines and all of the blocking and choreography for "E.B.". The rabbit is not going to move around when you're doing the scene. There's nothing there. So, during the scene, I have to try to remember my lines and keep it natural, and also remember where the rabbit is going for each line. Technically, it was difficult. Every film has got it's own challenges, but this was a technical process. When Kaley Cuoco or Gary Cole came in, I was like, "Thank god! We can act together!" On a movie like this, I never went home thinking, "Man, that scene today was awesome. I really felt it. It really came to life". It was all piecemeal. It was like singing a duet without the other person singing with you. I was like, "I hope whoever is in the editing room with the scissors and the glue makes this all work". Hide

(2007) I did dress in drag for an audition once-to play Penélope Cruz's drag queen best friend in W Show more (2007) I did dress in drag for an audition once-to play Penélope Cruz's drag queen best friend in Woman on Top (2000). I went to Twentieth Century Fox dressed from head to toe in high heels and a dress. I just went for it. My wife dressed me - I thought I'd throw that in there. Hide

[interview with Men's Health] You shouldn't have to give up things that you love in life (to be in g Show more [interview with Men's Health] You shouldn't have to give up things that you love in life (to be in good shape). Yeah, you want to look good, but it's not necessary to look like the statue of David every time you take your shirt off. I'd rather look healthy, have a sound mind, and be comfortable in my own skin. Hide

If you're an attractive guy, everyone thinks you're successful just because of the way you look. I h Show more If you're an attractive guy, everyone thinks you're successful just because of the way you look. I hate that. Hide

(2011) When I was younger - up until I was 19 years old and in college - I was surrounded with peopl Show more (2011) When I was younger - up until I was 19 years old and in college - I was surrounded with people in high school who felt like they knew what they wanted to do with their lives, and that was intimidating to me because I didn't. I didn't know what my calling was. I didn't know what I was here on earth to do. I didn't know what my passion was until I discovered the dramatic arts in junior high and high school and I realized, "Oh, I like this. This is something I feel like I'm good at." But, the idea of moving to Hollywood and becoming an actor was really unrealistic...I didn't want to go get a job or get a degree in business or marketing, or whatever all my friends were getting degrees in. I also realized that it's a tough thing to make a career out of being an actor, but I thought, "You know what? I'm going to just make this happen. I'm going to move to L.A." I had really supportive parents. It was great. And, it happened, thank god. To this day, I really can't think of what I would be doing otherwise. I wasn't going to do anything unless I was really passionate about it. I'm a little stubborn that way, actually. Hide

(2007, on Hairspray (2007)) I would finish a day on "Hairspray" and I wouldn't want to go home. I wo Show more (2007, on Hairspray (2007)) I would finish a day on "Hairspray" and I wouldn't want to go home. I would want to stay there and watch the numbers that I wasn't in. I know it sounds cheesy but it was a real labor of love. I'm so stage-starved that it comes easily for me. I got along tremendously with the cast and with [director] Adam Shankman, who was certainly in his wheelhouse because he comes from something like 25 years of choreography and he was in his element. We were all having fun because he was - and it was great to see John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken just go camp. The movie's not all camp - they wanted to bring a real tone to it - but, obviously, it's colorful and has all those fireworks. It rides on the spectacle. Hide

(2005, on landing Heights (2005)) My agent sent me the script, and they said, you should read this o Show more (2005, on landing Heights (2005)) My agent sent me the script, and they said, you should read this one. They'll do that, they'll send me some scripts and say prioritize this one, cause this is really good. And I read it, and it was just one of those scripts that sucks you in and is engrossing and exciting to read, and I just went, "I want to be a part of it". So I met with (director) Chris Terrio, and we sat in a room for an hour and an half, two hours, and we talked about - it was nice, because normally you go in and you prepare a scene and you read for them and whatever, but he didn't want to do that, he wanted to talk to you. So I came in and we had a conversation about the script, which I thought was great - very Woody Allen. And I just said, "I want to be a part of this, I don't know what character but they're all great, I just want to be a part of this", and we had a long conversation, and they called and offered it, which was fantastic. And I knew it was a Merchant Ivory production, and I wasn't expecting to get the role, really, because how do I fit into a Merchant Ivory production? But if you want me to wear a corset, I will. Hide

My wife, kids and I still fly coach -- not first-class. I think I have a certain responsibility to l Show more My wife, kids and I still fly coach -- not first-class. I think I have a certain responsibility to let my children know I am not special because of what I do, but who I am as a person. Hide

(2011, on career choices) Every time I read a script, I see the movie in my head, and I try to see t Show more (2011, on career choices) Every time I read a script, I see the movie in my head, and I try to see the best movie in my head because everybody interprets the movie differently. First of all, I think about what I just finished doing. When I finished Straw Dogs (2011), I wanted to do something completely different. This business has been really good to me, in that it has afforded me a lot of opportunities to do very, very different projects. I did the "X-Men" movies, and I did Hairspray (2007). It's almost confusing for people. They're like, "Well, where do we put him? What does he do? He's all over the place". Actors always talk about that balance in their careers. It's your livelihood. It's your job. You get a paycheck. You're paying a mortgage. There's that component. And then, the other side of it is about your creative integrity, and the projects you really feel like you want to be a part of and that you feel like you can contribute to creatively. I believe that, if you're lucky enough to let that captain the ship, then all the other stuff will come along with it. Every movie I do, whether it's a little indie drama, if it's a big-budget action movie, or if it's a romantic comedy, I approach it as, "I want this to be the best of that, that there is." When I started Hop, I told (producer) Chris Meledandri that I would imagine that a lot of actors might want to step into a movie like this thinking, "Oh, this will be easy. It's a kid's movie. I'll just phone it in." I said, "I've gotta tell you, I feel more of a responsibility to do more work on this than I ever have." And he said, "That's exactly right." To me, it was important that the relationship between Fred and the rabbit felt very real, and like him and another human being. Whatever scripts come to me, I read them and I look at the ones that I feel like I can see myself in. You'll feel a spark. You'll be like, "All right, I see this guy. I get this guy. This guy makes me laugh. I know what to do." When I read Enchanted, I was like, "I know who this guy is. Please let me have this. I'll kill this role." Death at a Funeral was the same thing. To me, that was the best role in the movie. I felt really confident about my ability to create that performance. Those are the ones that I go after. And then, within that, I always try to change it up and go from a drama to a comedy to something else. That just keeps it interesting for me. Hide

(On starting out in L.A. and his fame level now) A little job here, a little job there, and after si Show more (On starting out in L.A. and his fame level now) A little job here, a little job there, and after six months in L.A., I was paying for my rent and my meals. Very slowly, the tiniest of snowballs snowballed from there. At some point, the snowball got to be a nice size, and I wanted it to stay that way. That's sort of now. I don't want it to keep rolling. Or rather, I want it to keep rolling, but I don't want it to keep getting bigger. Hide

If you're lucky enough to pick what you do, that's the greatest career you can have. Ultimately, tha Show more If you're lucky enough to pick what you do, that's the greatest career you can have. Ultimately, that's my goal: to have choices. - Interview with Men's Health, May 2007. Hide

Early in your career, you feel like there is a formula, a path you have to take. You have to do this Show more Early in your career, you feel like there is a formula, a path you have to take. You have to do this movie because this person directed it and you have to be associated with these people. In some ways, I have thrown that out. I decided I should go after the roles I like, that I am inspired by and then if I am having a good time, chances are that people will like watching you. (Interview, November, 2011) Hide

If expectations are low, you can only impress people. But if expectations are there for you to be th Show more If expectations are low, you can only impress people. But if expectations are there for you to be the leading guy, and you've been paid X amount of money, you're on a tightrope and all of a sudden you're looking down. If it was up to me now, I would just stay on the up-and-coming list until I'm like 90. Hide

When I entered this business I think people looked at me and said, 'Here's a young, good-looking guy Show more When I entered this business I think people looked at me and said, 'Here's a young, good-looking guy. He should play the romantic lead.' So I played the jock, I played those parts, and it was a good thing. But, over time, as I've gotten older, I realize I have a lot more fun as an actor when I'm doing other things. The more character-driven the role, the better. Hide

(2008) I grew up in Oklahoma, I did always have the blue eyes, but I was pudgy until I was 13 or 14, Show more (2008) I grew up in Oklahoma, I did always have the blue eyes, but I was pudgy until I was 13 or 14, then I got tall and skinny, but I grew up in an area where girls liked athletic football players and I was never that kind of guy. That was their version of Prince Charming and it was not until fairly recently that I became reasonably happy with my appearance and the way I am. I think it is all psychological, but I was never really comfortable with the way I looked and don't see myself as handsome...When I was younger I would try to mold myself into an image of what women wanted and now I am interested in being comfortable in my own skin. I think it is important to have confidence in who you are and embrace that, rather than trying to be someone else. Hide

[2008, on his costume for Enchanted (2007)] It was very uncomfortable, all our costumes were uncomfo Show more [2008, on his costume for Enchanted (2007)] It was very uncomfortable, all our costumes were uncomfortable. But the costumes helped my performance. For me as an actor, it easier to play an extreme character like this with the costume and the sword and hair. Wearing the costume gets me into the personality of the character and 90 percent of my work is done once I put it on. The costume transforms you. But the novelty of wearing the costume wore off around Week 2, when I realized I had several more months wearing it, as we were moving into the hot humid days of July in New York and then it did become hard work. We were always having a good time making the film but it was definitely important to have a sense of humor while we were filming. It took ten or fifteen minutes just to get my costume on, I had to really manage my time - especially in terms of bathroom breaks. If you needed to get out of the costume, things would have to stop and shut down for twenty minutes - just to get the suit off. Hide

James Marsden's FILMOGRAPHY

as Actor (279)

Modern Family - Season 11

Top Gear (UK) - Season 26

Westworld - Season 4

Touched by an Angel - Season 1

Conan - Season 9

Robot Chicken - Season 7

Henchmen

The Teen Choice Awards 2008

Touched by an Angel - Season 6

Zoolander

The Outer Limits - Season 3

X-men: Days Of Future Past

Modern Family - Season 5

Wander Over Yonder - Season 2

10th and Wolf

Watch What Happens: Live - Season 17

Westworld - Season 1

The Kelly Clarkson Show - Season 6

Enchanted

Robot Chicken - Season 2

Sesame Street - Season 53

The Female Brain

Party of Five - Season 1

Running Wild with Bear Grylls - Season 1

The Daily Show - Season 23

Robot Chicken - Season 9

James Marsden'S roles

Barry

Dawson Cole

Hunter

Chris Van Outryve

Warren Strobel

Fred O'Hare

Gordon

Oscar

Lon Hammond

David Sumner