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James Wesley Marsters (born August 20, 1962) is an American actor, musician, singer, comic book writer, and audiobook narrator.
He is best known for his role as the British punk vampire Spike in The WB series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off, Angel. Since then, he has played the alien supervillain Brainiac along with Professor Milton Fine and Brainiac 5 on the Superman-inspired series Smallville, Captain John Hart on Torchwood and terrorist Barnabas Greeley in Syfy Caprica.
He appeared in a supporting role in the film P.S. I Love You, as Victor Hesse in the 2010 reboot of Hawaii Five-0, and Victor Stein in the Marvel Comics series Runaways. He is also the voice of Zamasu along with Future Zamasu for the Funimation dub of the Dragon Ball franchise. He made a guest appearance in the show Supernatural as a warlock business tycoon in a tumultuous marriage with a witch (played by Buffy castmate Charisma Carpenter). He starred in the critically acclaimed two-part independent film A Bread Factory by director Patrick Wang. He also voiced the roles of Lex Luthor in the film and the video game DC Universe Online, Sergei in , Mister Fantastic in The Super Hero Squad Show, Korvac in Ultimate Spider-Man, Captain Faro Argyus in , Louis 'Match' Morris in , Nosferatu in DuckTales and various voices in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated.
He is sometimes credited in various anime series and video games as David Gray and Sam Majesters in the series Dragon Ball Super and the video game Dragon Ball FighterZ respectively.
In 1990, he moved to Seattle and, with Liane Davidson and Greg Musick, formed the New Mercury Theatre. In this and other companies, Marsters was involved in a wide range of plays, including Teechers (a British play by John Godber), Jean Anouilh Antigone, an original work based on the Dr. Seuss books, and Shaw's Misalliance.
In 1992, he got his first TV acting job on Northern Exposure, in which he appeared for two episodes as a bellboy and a church minister. He has made guest appearances on television series including Andromeda, as well as the independent films Chance (2002), Winding Roads (1999), and the USA Network film Cool Money (2005). In 1999, he had a small role in the remake of House on Haunted Hill as a TV cameraman.
Spike had been intended as a short role by creator Joss Whedon, who originally resisted Spike's popularity. "He made it very clear he did not want the show to be taken over by another romantic vampire," Marsters told 411Mania, adding "to Joss, vampires were supposed to be ugly, evil, and quick to be killed... when I was cast Joss did not imagine me to be popular; Spike was supposed to be dirty and evil, punk rock, and then dead." The massive fan response prevented his character from being killed off, allowing Spike a presence throughout the second season.
There were no plans to bring Spike back as a regular on Buffy, until the character Cordelia Chase was moved to the spin-off show, Angel, and, as Marsters told 411Mania, "they needed someone to tell Buffy she was stupid and about to die, and so they decided to bring me back." Marsters thought Spike would not last because, being a vampire, Spike was restricted to night-time scenes and could not feasibly interact with human characters as often as Cordelia. 411mania Interviews: James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) , March 10, 2012 Surprisingly, Spike would become a romantic partner for Buffy, and Marsters a main cast member until the very end of the show.
After the conclusion of Buffy, Marsters carried Spike over to its spinoff, Angel, as a series regular in its fifth and final season. Marsters was asked to keep quiet about this, as his return was intended to be a surprise, but the network promoted Spike's return as soon as it could, in order to create media buzz and attract advertisers.
In April 2004, following the end of Angel, Marsters had Spike's trademark bleached hair shaved off for charity live on television during an episode of On Air with Ryan Seacrest.
When Angel was cancelled, there were plans for several television films based on the characters from the Buffy/Angel universe. Talk of a Spike film began in 2004, Marsters is indirectly quoted about the possibility of a Spike movie. and Whedon still had plans into 2006 Whedon announced he pitched the Spike movie, February 15, 2006, before they were formally abandoned. Marsters said he would only return to play Spike if the project took place within five years, feeling he would become too old to play the character (an immortal) after that:
Aside from playing Spike, Marsters co-wrote a comic book one-shot for Dark Horse Comics, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike and Dru. After Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel ended, Marsters became active with the canonical comic book series of both shows, particularly with stories centering around his character. A canonical graphic novel set during the seventh season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Spike: Into the Light, written by Marsters himself, was released by Dark Horse Comics on July 16, 2014.
In 2005, Marsters filmed a thriller, Shadow Puppets, with Jolene Blalock. Late that year, Marsters appeared on the television series Smallville playing Dr. Milton Fine—the popular Superman villain Brainiac—in eight episodes throughout the show's fifth season. He reprised his role as Brainiac in a four-episode arc in the seventh season, and did a cameo voice-over in season eight. He returned for one episode in the show's final season. On October 29, 2005, Marsters presented two performances of his own abridged adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth with American actress Cheryl Puente as Lady Macbeth, followed by question and answer sessions with the audience and acoustic concerts in London.
In September 2006, Marsters' interpretation of Godber's Teechers was performed on the Queen Mary with two other actors in Los Angeles. This is a play he had received critical acclaim for as a stage actor prior to his television work. Marsters co-starred in the 2007 cinematic release of P.S. I Love You alongside Kathy Bates, Hilary Swank, and Gerard Butler. Released in September 2007, Marsters starred in the direct-to-DVD animated film, , providing the voice of iconic villain Lex Luthor. The film received mostly positive reviews.
In 2008, he guest-starred in Torchwood, a spin-off of the popular British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first appearing in the episode "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang", as the nefarious Omnisexuality time traveller Captain John Hart. He reprised the role in the last two episodes of the second season.
He portrayed "Piccolo Daimao" in the live-action film adaptation of the popular Dragon Ball manga and anime, directed by James Wong and produced by Stephen Chow, which was released worldwide on April 10, 2009 and performed poorly both critically and financially.
On July 20, 2009, the film Moonshot aired on the History Channel in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon landing. In this film, Marsters portrays Buzz Aldrin. On August 19, 2009, it was announced that he signed on for a role in Caprica as the terrorist leader Barnabas Greeley.
Also in August 2009, Marsters' science fiction western, High Plains Invaders aired on the Syfy. In this alien invasion flick, Marsters portrays Sam Danville. It was announced in August 2010 that Marsters would be joining the cast of Syfy Channel series Three Inches as a series regular portraying Troy Hamilton, a former government agent who now leads a team of superheroes.
On June 24, 2011, Marsters appeared in an L.A. Theatre Works radio production of The Importance of Being Earnest, in the part of Sir John Worthing, which aired on June 25, 2011.
He has appeared on Supernatural in the episode "Shut Up, Dr. Phil", which aired October 21, 2011, alongside fellow Buffyverse co-star Charisma Carpenter. He also appeared in Warehouse 13 in 2013 as Bennett Sutton alongside fellow Buffyverse alumnus Anthony Stewart Head.
In 2018, some sources speculated that Marsters is the voice actor of Dragon Ball Super character Zamasu. In October 2021, at Fan Expo Canada, both Marsters and Dragon Ball Super voice director Christopher Sabat publicly confirmed that he voiced Zamasu under the pseudonym of David Gray. As a fan of the Dragon Ball franchise, Marsters agreed to play the role of Zamasu in Dragon Ball Super at the suggestion 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 poorly received film Dragon Ball: Evolution.
In 2003–04, Marsters was the lead singer for the rock band Ghost of the Robot. Their debut album Mad Brilliant was released on February 2, 2003. The band played its first gigs in Los Angeles and Paris. They went on to play successful dates in and around Los Angeles and two sold-out tours of Europe in 2003 and 2004. In addition to Mad Brilliant, they released three singles ("Valerie", "David Letterman" and "New Man") and one mid-length Extended play, It's Nothing. All these releases carried tracks written and co-written by Marsters. Several of Ghost of the Robot's earlier songs were loosely based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters Buffy, Dawn, and Faith.
Marsters' solo musical career was launched in October 2004, in London. His solo acoustic tour of the United Kingdom in April 2005 sold out. A new solo album "Civilized Man" produced by Chris Rhyne and Andrew Rosenthal was released on April 15, 2005. It includes several new songs as well as the popular "Katie" and "Smile". He has played songs from the album live in Detroit, Houston, and Sacramento. Ten of the eleven songs are written by Marsters.
New solo songs not included on the album but sung at live solo concerts include "Birth of the Blues", "Finer than Gold", "Louise", and "London City". "Finer than Gold", "London City", and "Louise" were composed while on tour in the UK in April 2005. "Birth of the Blues" was composed by Marsters in Amsterdam in 2004 while touring with his now-defunct band. During his October 2005 mini-tour of the UK, Marsters introduced other new songs to his sets: "Button Down Vandals", "Up On Me", and "All That She Wanted". These songs were available only as part of his recently released Words and Music DVD, which has his abridged version of Macbeth as well as a full-length solo music performance.
During his September 2006 convention, James Marsters & Friends, he debuted several new songs including "The Truth Is Heavy", "Fall of Night", "Jealous Man", and "Not A Millionaire". All these songs reflect his new blues music and folk sound. He also performed a cover version of Keb Mo's classic "Baby Blue". In 2007, he performed live several times in the UK and debuted two new songs written in Cardiff. "Layabout" and "Looking at You" reflect a more upbeat light folk move in Marsters' music. These songs as well as some of his previously unrecorded work were released on Marsters' second solo album, formally launched in Los Angeles and Cardiff in October and November 2007 respectively. This album, Like a Waterfall, includes twelve songs, all written by Marsters. Most had been performed and recorded live but not in the studio. An exception is "When I Was a Baby", a song never previously performed in public.
Like a Waterfall was produced by Ryan Shore and features several other musicians including Blair Sinta, who has drummed for Alanis Morissette, and Five for Fighting bass player Curt Schneider. In 2008, Marsters' Waterfall Tour came to the UK. He played the first three dates across London and performed for three consecutive days in Milton Keynes. The concert at the packed Union Chapel in Islington was an acoustic set featuring material from his album— Like A Waterfall. Waterfall Tour comes to UK
On May 1, 2009, he returned to the Union Chapel, followed by a "Marstersclass" event at The Drill Hall, in London on May 2. The sell-out event included a concert, Q&A session plus opportunities to get autographs and photos. On May 3, 2009, he performed at London's 100 Club. 100 Club
In 2010 James' music career continued when the band Ghost of the Robot reformed: they have since released the album B-Sider which is available on iTunes. Afterwards, in 2011, the album Murphy's Law was released, which is also available for download in iTunes. There are also multiple other Extended play available on the iTunes Store.
In 2023, Ghost of the Robot released the album Tin Man, which is available on Bandcamp. It includes the song "Don't Worry Son," which Marsters wrote while he was working on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
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.
With California-based rock band Ghost of the Robot:
Personal life
Marsters is divorced from Liane Davidson, with whom he has one son (born 1996). In 2002, Marsters began raising his five-year-old niece, whom he now regards as his daughter.Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine:
Discography
As a solo artist:
Filmography
Film
1999 Winding Roads Billy Johnson House on Haunted Hill Channel Three Cameraman 2002 Chance Simon 2007 Shadow Puppets Jack Lex Luthor Voice, direct-to-video P.S. I Love You John McCarthy 2009 Dragonball Evolution Lord Piccolo 2015 Billie Bob Joe Himself Cameo Dudes & Dragons Lord Tensley Dragon Warriors (working title) 2016 New Life William Morton 2018 A Bread Factory (Part 1) Jason A Bread Factory (Part 2) 2019 Grief Tom Short 2023 Abruptio Les Hackel It only took 7 years but Abruptio is Done 2024 Isla Monstro Reggie Voice
Television
1992–1993 Northern Exposure Bellhop, Rev. Harding 2 episodes 1995 Medicine Ball Mickey Collins Episode: "Heart and Sole" 1997 Moloney Billy O'Hara Episode: "Herniated Nick" 1997–2003 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Spike Recurring role (seasons 2–3); main role (seasons 4–7) 1999–2004 Angel Guest role (seasons 1–2); main role (season 5) 1999 Millennium Eric Swan Episode: "Collateral Damage" 2001 The Enforcers Charles Haysbert Miniseries Strange Frequency Mitch Brand Segment: "Soul Man" Andromeda Charlemagne Bolivar Episode: "Into the Labyrinth" 2003 Sergei Voice, 2 episodes 2004 The Mountain Ted Tunney Episode: "A Piece of the Rock" 2005 Cool Money Bobby Comfort Television film 2005–2010 Smallville Milton Fine, Brainiac, Brainiac 5 Recurring role 2007–2008 Without a Trace Detective Mars 4 episodes 2007 Saving Grace Dudley Payne Episode: "Bring It On, Earl" 2008 Torchwood Captain John Hart 3 episodes The Capture of the Green River Killer Ted Bundy Miniseries Capt. Faro Argyus Voice, episode: "Cloak of Darkness" 2009 Buzz Aldrin Television film High Plains Invaders Sam Denville Television film Numb3rs Damien Lake Episode: "Guilt Trip" The Super Hero Squad Show Mister Fantastic Voice, 5 episodes Lie to Me Pollack Episode: "Truth or Consequences" 2010 Caprica Barnabas Greeley 4 episodes 2010–2020 Hawaii Five–0 Victor Hesse 5 episodes 2011 Supernatural Don Stark Episode: "Shut Up, Dr. Phil" Three Inches Troy Hamilton Episode: "Pilot" 2012–2014 Metal Hurlant Chronicles Brad Davis, Doc Rowan 2 episodes 2013 Wedding Band Declan Horn Episode: "Personal Universe" Warehouse 13 Prof. Bennett Sutton 3 episodes Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Dandy Highwayman, Librarian, Man Voice, episode: "Stand and Deliver" Ultimate Spider-Man Korvac, Chitauri #3 Voice, episode: "Guardians of the Galaxy" 2014 Witches of East End Tarkoff 7 episodes 2015 The Devil You Know Rev. George Burroughs Pilot 2017–2019 Runaways Victor Stein / Jonah / Magistrate Series regular 2018 Dragon Ball Super Zamasu English dub; credited as David Gray 2020 The Order Xavier Episodes "The Common" Part 1 & 2 DuckTales Count Orlok Voice, episode: "The Trickening!" 2021 Carl Bishop Episode: "The Golf Job" 2023–present Curses! Larry Voice; series regular 2023 Casa GrandeSee:
Miller Dalton 3-episodes
Video games
2002 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Spike 2003 2009 Louis "Match" Morris 2010 DC Universe Online Lex Luthor 2017 Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Zamasu Credited as David Gray 2018 Dragon Ball FighterZ Credited as Sam Majesters 2020 Dragonball Legends 2024 Credited as David Gray
Audio dramas
2018 Episode: "The Death of Captain Jack" Captain John Hart 2020 2024 Episodes: "Part 2" & "Part 3"
Audiobooks
+ The Dresden Files 2002 1 Storm Front 2003 2 Fool Moon 2005 3 Grave Peril 2007 4 Summer Knight 2009 5 Death Masks 2010 6 Blood Rites 2010 7 Dead Beat 2009 8 Proven Guilty 2009 9 White Night 2008 10 Small Favor 2009 11 Turn Coat 2010 12 Changes 2010 12.5 Side Jobs 2015 13 Ghost Story 2012 14 Cold Days 2014 15 Skin Game 2015 15.5 Working for Bigfoot 2018 15.75 Brief Cases 2020 16 Peace Talks 2020 17 Battle Ground + The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare 2017 2 The Lord of Shadows 2018 3 The Queen of Air and Darkness + The Untamed City by Melissa Marr 2012 1 The Carnival of Secrets (2025). 9780062201911, Harper Collins. ISBN 9780062201911
Awards and nominations
2000 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Sidekick Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2000 Saturn Awards Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Series Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2001 Saturn Awards Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Series Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2002 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Actor Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2002 Saturn Awards Cinescape Genre Face of the Future Award Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2002 Saturn Awards Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Series Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2002 SFX Awards Best Comedy Performance Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2002 SFX Awards Best TV Actor Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2003 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Actor Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2003 Saturn Awards Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Series Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2003 Satellite Award Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Series Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2004 Saturn Awards Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Series Angel / Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2004 Spacey Awards Favourite TV Character—Male Spike in Angel 2005 Saturn Awards Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Series Angel 2011 S.E.T. Awards The Documentary S.E.T. Award Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11
External links
Categories: Www.jamesmarstersofficial.com Official Website, 1962 Births, Living People, Actors From The San Francisco Bay Area, American Baritones, American Comics Writers, American Male Film Actors, American Male Television Actors, American Male Video Game Actors, American Male Voice Actors, Juilliard School Alumni, Male Actors From Modesto, California, Musicians From Modesto, California, Pacific Conservatory Of The Performing Arts Alumni, 20th-century American Male Actors, 21st-century American Male Actors
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