Is James Marsters The Best Actor in Nerdy TV?
Throughout modern history, actors who can embody the essence of an iconic character so completely that fans forget that there is a person behind that character have become the gold standard of nerdy fandoms everywhere. Of the special few who can do it more than once, none have elicited such simultaneous fanboy wrath and…excitement…as James Marsters!
James has made a career out of playing the irresistible villain who is everyone’s type thanks to iconic roles like Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Captain John Hart on Torchwood. In fact, he has done such a fantastic job at crafting this bad boy persona that it seems perfectly natural to find out that he’s also the lead singer in a rock band called Ghost of the Robot. With so much “cool energy” hanging around him, it may then be something of a shock to know that his career almost went in a very different direction. After studying at Juilliard, James began his acting career on stage in 1987 performing in The Tempest, Teechers, & Shaw’s Misalliance. It wasn’t until 1992 that he made is TV debut in Northern Exposure as a bellboy & later as a minister. From there, he found himself typecast as forgettable, nerdy characters that would make one or two appearances before ultimately exiting stage left, never to be seen again. This balance of stage acting & less-than memorable TV guest spots continued for several years until one fateful September day in 1997 when he sauntered into living rooms across America as the now infamous vampire bad boy, Spike.
His charisma was so undeniably alluring that he inadvertently turned a small villain-of-the-week guest role into a genre defining character that spanned seven years, two shows, 120 episodes, two video games, & two hit comic book series. For most actors, this would be a fantastic career that could sustain them for years, but not James. He continued to push is creative aspirations to new heights. In 2003, James brought his love of music to the forefront with the freshman album for Ghost of the Robot: Mad Brilliant. Then, to the surprise of many anime fans, he appeared in the 2009 live action Dagon Ball Z adaptation, Dragonball Evolution, as Lord Piccolo. While the movie ended up being a theatrical failure, it acted as a foot in the door to the world of anime, which he later used to re-enter the Dragon Ball franchise as the now fan-favorite villain Zamasu in Dragon Ball Super.
With a career spanning theatrical performances, multiple hit TV shows, box office disasters, anime voice acting, & world-touring rock musician (with some video game voice acting & audiobooks sprinkled in for good measure), James Marsters is anything but predictable as a creative talent. Over the years, he has developed a devoted fan base that has continued to follow him on every twist & turn he can throw at them. So, when we had the opportunity to speak with him during his appearance at Fan Expo Dallas, we absolutely jumped at the invitation. Now, join us on today’s edition of Dallas Geek as we interview the incredible James Marsters!
James Marsters: