James Marsden

James Paul Marsden (born September 18, 1973) is an American actor. He began his acting career guest starring in the television shows '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (1993), '' Touched by an Angel'' (1995), and '' Party of Five'' (1995). Marsden gained fame for his portrayal of Cyclops in the ''X-Men'' film series from 2000 to 2014, and for his roles in the films '' The Notebook'' (2004), '' Superman Returns'' (2006), '' Hairspray'' (2007), '' Enchanted'' (2007), '' 27 Dresses'' (2008), and '' Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues'' (2013). He portrayed John F. Kennedy in the drama film '' The Butler'' (2013) and Tom Wachowski in the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' film series (2020–present).

Marsden starred in the science fiction series '' Westworld'' from 2016 to 2022 and in the black comedy series '' Dead to Me'' from 2019 to 2022, for which he received a nomination for a Critics' Choice Television Award. He played guest roles in the sitcoms '' Modern Family'' (2011) and ''30 Rock'' (2012–2013). He starred as a fictionalized version of himself in the mockumentary series ''Jury Duty'' (2023), for which he received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. Marsden has since starred in the thriller series ''Paradise'' (2025).

Early life and family

Marsden was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on September 18, 1973, the son of Kathleen (née Scholtz) and James Luther Marsden. His father, a food safety advisor to LexiGene Industries, and his mother, a nutritionist, divorced when he was nine years old.

He has four siblings: two younger sisters and two brothers. He attended Hefner Middle School and Putnam City North High School, in Oklahoma City, and later went on to attend Oklahoma State University, where he studied broadcast journalism. He was also a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Marsden left after one and a half years, opting instead to move to Los Angeles in order to pursue his acting career.

Career

Debut and early career (1993–2003)

Marsden got his first job in a series of episodes of '' The Nanny'' as Eddie, Margaret Sheffield's boyfriend. He then starred in the Canadian television series '' Boogies Diner'', which aired for one season. Following the end of that series, he guest starred on television shows such as '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' and '' Party of Five''. He later starred in the ABC show '' Second Noah''. He lost out to Edward Norton for a role in '' Primal Fear'' and auditioned for the lead role in '' 54'', which then went to Ryan Phillippe. He starred in the films '' Disturbing Behavior'' opposite Katie Holmes and ''Gossip'' opposite Kate Hudson. He also appeared in the television series '' Ally McBeal'' as one of the main cast members during the first half of season 5, where he also sang. He also starred in a 1998 episode of " The Outer Limits".

Marsden was cast as Cyclops in the ''X-Men'' films. Marsden also appeared in Bryan Singer's '' Superman Returns''. Singer had dropped out of the third X-Men film to direct ''Superman'' and Marsden was cast as Lois Lane's fiancé, Richard White. Due to schedule conflicts, Marsden's screen time in '' X-Men: The Last Stand'' was reduced, stirring controversy from fans of the comics. Marsden's portrayal of Cyclops in the films was well received and garnered him a Blockbuster Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2014 Marsden reprised his role of Cyclops in a brief cameo for '' X-Men: Days of Future Past'', as did other actors from the first film including Anna Paquin and Famke Janssen.

Breakthrough with comedy films (2004–2011)

In 2004, Marsden co-starred with Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, James Garner, and Gena Rowlands in the romantic drama '' The Notebook'' as Lon Hammond, Jr., the second man Allie Hamilton (McAdams) falls in love with. In 2007, Marsden played Corny Collins in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical '' Hairspray'', based on the 1988 John Waters film of the same name. In the film, he sang two songs, "The Nicest Kids In Town" and "(It's) Hairspray". Both ''Hairspray'' and its soundtrack were critically acclaimed. His next role was with Amy Adams in the Disney hybrid animated/live-action film '' Enchanted'', playing Prince Edward. He sang one song as a duet with Adams at the beginning of the film and a duet with Idina Menzel that was cut from the film. ''Enchanted'' was well received critically and proved to be a commercial success, earning more than $340 million worldwide at the box office.

Following his successes in 2007's ''Hairspray'' and ''Enchanted'', Marsden played the male lead in the 2008 romantic comedy '' 27 Dresses'' opposite star Katherine Heigl, which grossed $160 million worldwide. He also starred in the teen comedy '' Sex Drive''. Though the film was a moderate success, Marsden's performance was heavily praised. Marsden also received a Teen Choice Awards nomination for Choice Movie Actor in a Comedy for his roles in ''Enchanted'' and ''27 Dresses''.

In 2009, Marsden also played the male lead in the film '' The Box'', based on the 1970 short story "Button, Button" by author Richard Matheson, which was earlier made into an episode of '' The Twilight Zone''. He starred opposite Cameron Diaz and reunited with ''Superman Returns'' co-star Frank Langella. In 2010, Marsden was cast in the comedy '' Death at a Funeral'', a remake of the 2007 British film of the same name, along with Chris Rock, Luke Wilson, Danny Glover, and Columbus Short.

Marsden made an appearance on '' Modern Family'' in January 2011, playing a squatter. In April, Marsden appeared as the male (live-action) lead in '' Hop'', an Easter-themed comedy co-starring Russell Brand as the Easter Bunny. Although the film was considered a commercial success, opening at the top of the weekend box office and grossing over $100 million in the U.S. box office, ''Hop'' generally received negative reviews. Later in 2011, Marsden played the lead in '' Straw Dogs'', a remake of Sam Peckinpah's 1971 film; Marsden portrayed the character played by Dustin Hoffman in the original. ''Straw Dogs'' reunited Marsden with his '' Superman Returns'' co-star Kate Bosworth. The film received mixed reviews and ultimately ended up being a box office flop.

Independent films and television roles (2012–present)

In 2012 and 2013, Marsden appeared in a recurring role in the sixth and seventh seasons of ''30 Rock'', playing Criss Chros, the boyfriend (and later husband) of the series' main character Liz Lemon. He also appeared in several independent films, including '' Robot & Frank'', '' Small Apartments'', '' Bachelorette'', and '' As Cool as I Am''. In 2013, he co-starred with Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg in the action film '' 2 Guns'', which debuted at number one in its weekend release. Soon after, he starred in Lee Daniels' historical drama '' The Butler'' as President John F. Kennedy. The film, featuring an ensemble, opened at the top spot and received positive reviews. Marsden played Jack Lime, a rival reporter to Will Ferrell's Ron Burgundy, in '' Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues''. The following year, he reprised his role as Scott Summers for the first time in eight years in '' X-Men: Days of Future Past'' in a cameo. He would also star in his second Nicholas Sparks film titled '' The Best of Me''. Marsden performed as the sentient android Teddy Flood in three seasons of HBO's '' Westworld''.

Marsden appeared as Judy Hale's former boyfriend and lawyer Steve Wood in the Netflix dark comedy series '' Dead to Me''. He later starred in a separate role in the same series as Ben Wood from the second season onward. In 2020, he starred in Paramount's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' film and the Paramount+ television miniseries ''The Stand''. Marsden also starred in the FX miniseries '' Mrs. America'' as Phil Crane. In 2021, Marsden provided the voice of Hitch Trailblazer in the Netflix animated film '' My Little Pony: A New Generation''. Marsden reprised his role of Tom Wachowski in the 2022 sequel '' Sonic the Hedgehog 2''. He also reprised the role of Edward in the sequel to ''Enchanted'', titled '' Disenchanted'', which was released on Disney+ in November 2022.

In 2023, Marsden starred as himself in the hoax reality television series ''Jury Duty'', a role which garnered him a Golden Globe nomination. The series won a 2023 Peabody Award as an Entertainment Honoree.

In 2024, Marsden was announced to return as Tom Wachowski in '' Sonic the Hedgehog 3''. He also starred as Jack LaLanne in '' Unfrosted'', which was released on Netflix in May of that year.

Marsden will return as Cyclops in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film '' Avengers: Doomsday'' (2026).

Personal life

Marsden married Mary Elizabeth "Lisa" Linde, daughter of Dennis Linde, on July 22, 2000. The couple have two children: a son born in 2001 and a daughter born in 2005. They divorced in 2011, with Linde citing irreconcilable differences.

He also has a son, born in 2012, with model Rose Costa.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Discography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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Interview on ''The Notebook'' and ''X-Men 3''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsden, James
1973 births
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American singers
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
Independent Spirit Award winners
Living people
Male actors from Oklahoma
Male models from Oklahoma
Oklahoma State University alumni
People from Stillwater, Oklahoma