Biography

James Marsters

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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 was promoted to 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, in 2003.
- IMDb mini biography by: zoot_18

He says Spike is the best role he's ever had because he's been able to play so many different sides of him.
Has produced more than 70 plays.
His favorite Buffy episode is Once More, with Feeling (2001).
Was recognizable in public chiefly for his platinum-blond-bleached hair. He had to bleach his hair regularly to play Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997). In a famous "Entertainment Weekly" interview, he admitted to adding four to seven packets of Sweet 'n' Low to the bleaching solution, to take the sting out. When the show ended, Marsters had his bleached hair shaved on TV (to sell for charity) and reverted back to his normal brown hair.
Is the legal guardian of his niece.

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 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."
"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.
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 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."

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