Biography

Full name: James Wesley Marsters

Birthday: August 20th

Birthplace: Greenville, California

Height: 5'10"

Eye Color: Blue

Hair Color: Blonde (at the moment...naturally a brunette)

James Wesley Marsters was born on August 20th, in Greenville, California. He grew up in Modesto with his parents, brother, and sister. His father was a minister, while his mother was chose to be a social worker rather than a nun. His parents are currently divorced, leaving him with at least one step-sibling.

James was always somewhat of a troublemaker in school. He purposely stood out of a crowd, never succumbing to peer pressure during his adolescence. He didn't care to be popular, and instead chose to be as unpopular as possible. He started a band with some friends of his, and they surprisingly gained notoriety when they began performing at parties and whatnot. James was also involved in drama, calling himself a "theatre geek", as does fellow cast member Tony Head. James knew what he wanted to do with his life since he was an adolescent. He graduated from David High School in Modesto.

James went on to study at the prestigious Julliard, and brags about being "kicked out". He didn't believe in their teaching methods. He continued his studies at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and the American Conservatory Theatre. Always a fan of the stage, he began doing theatre work, acting in such plays as the Tempest, the Crucible, and even Macbeth. His dream is to one day direct Macbeth, as he's done the play twice now. After some time of doing regional theatre in Chicago, Illinois, James co-founded the New Mercury Theatre Company.

In hopes of becoming more successful, James relocated to Seattle, Washington in 1990 with his company. James absolutely loved theatre, but he often found himself searching his sofa for rent money. He decided he couldn't live his whole life, not knowing if he will have rent money the next day. He received some good advice from some actor friends of his, and decided to follow it. He then packed up, and moved to Hollywood, ready to start a new life. Given his theatrical training, James soon found himself guest starring on shows on Moloney and Northern Exposure.

In 1997, James got wind of an open casting call for a show called Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They were looking for someone to guest star on the show a one-half of a Sid and Nancy-type vampire couple. At first James was wary of doing a show called Buffy the Vampire Slayer, until he managed to catch an episode. He found himself desperately wanting that roll as he found the writing to be incredible. So he auditioned, trying out a Southern accent, and a British one. He did extremely well, and he got a call-back. James came in and read with Juliet Landau, who was already cast to play the female half of the vampire couple. They had definite chemistry. While James certainly had the part down, he didn't look like an evil vampire. He had very dark hair when he auditioned. Marcia Shulman, experimented a little bit, and the result, James became a platinum blond. He was absolutely perfect for the roll.

James became a hit with not only the crew, but with the audience. They couldn't get enough of his character, Spike. What was supposed to be a 5 episode stint, soon became 12, half of the season. After James' Buffy gig was up, he began working on other projects: guest starring on Millennium, and appearing in the 1999 Geoffrey Rush horror film, House on Haunted Hill, a remake of the 1950's classic starring Vincent Price. James came back to Buffy for a one episode stint during it's third season. He then began working on an independent film called Winding Roads, in which he had a fairly large role.

One day James receives a call from Joss. They want him back on Buffy, as a regular cast member. He guest starred on 2 episodes in the fourth season, and in the episode, "The Initiative", James' name was added to the opening credits, delighting fans. He spends most of his time on the Buffy set. James has also attended many Buffy conventions, in which he interacts with fans. During hiatus, he has been filming two movies, Chance, directed by Buffy co-star Amber Benson, and the Enforcers.

In his spare time, James loves playing his guitar and singing. He often performs at a nightclub in Santa Monica, California, doing cover songs, as well as many originals. James also enjoys painting, writing, taking long drives, and working on his car.

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