James Wesley Marsters (born August 20, 1962 in Greenville, California) is an actor/singer most famous for playing the Ensemble Dark Horse vampire Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. His other most famous roles are as Milton Fine (Brainiac) in Smallville and Captain John Hart in Torchwood. He appeared on Caprica as terrorist leader Barnabas Greeley, appeared on Warehouse 13 as the Count of St. Germain, and also portrayed Piccolo in Dragonball Evolution. He also has provided the audio performances for all of Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files books to date, and became the voice actor for Zamasu in Dragon Ball Super.
He has been married and divorced twice, once to Liane Davison (from 1989 to 1997), and then to Patricia Rahman (from 2011-2021). His relationship with Rahman drew some controversy due to the large age gap (23 years) between them, and the fact that Marsters had attended her high school graduation (they started dating when she was 17-18 and he was 42).
Other Roles:
- Northern Exposure as Bellhop/Rev. Harding (2 episodes)
- Moloney as Billy O'Hara (1 episode)
- Andromeda as Charlemagne Bolivar (1 episode)
- Spider-Man: The New Animated Series as Sergei (2 episodes)
- Without a Trace as Det. Grant Mars (4 episodes)
- Saving Grace as Dudley Payne (1 episode)
- High Plains Invaders (2009) as Sam Phoenix
- NUMB3RS as Damien Lake (1 episode)
- The Super Hero Squad Show as Mister Fantastic (5 episodes)
- Lie to Me as Pollack (1 episode)
- Hawaii Five-0 as Victor Hesse (5 episodes)
- Supernatural as Don Stark (1 episode)
- Superman: Doomsday as Lex Luthor
- DC Universe Online as Lex Luthor again.
Tropes associated with this actor's roles:
- Awesome, Dear Boy: His work for The Dresden Files and Dragonball Super are noticeably below his usual pay rate, but he does them because he's himself a fan. Jim Butcher has even said that Marsters has pestered him about getting more books out for him to narrate.
- Dyeing for Your Art: Dyed his hair platinum blonde to play Spike.
- Fake Brit:
- Several of his roles, including but not limited to Spike, John Hart, and the Count of St. Germain. Several people on the set of Buffy thought he was actually British.
- His most well-regarded roles are usually this, despite the fact that Marsters is American. Supposedly casting agents in Britain still mistake him for the genuine article. Doesn't help that his full name is James Wesley Marsters, or that he bears a good resemblance to Sid Vicious.
- Fake Nationality: He's stated in interviews that he can do any accent he can get paid to do. Irish, Italian, French, Russian… The Dresden Files audiobooks pretty much prove that.
- Throw It In!: The scar on his eyebrow is real, although it has healed noticeably since Spike's first appearance.
- Typecasting: Two of his most famous roles (Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and voicing the Dresden Files audiobooks) involve playing a supernatural badass who favors snide comments and long leather coats.
- Villainous Cheekbones: He was born to play villains with his impressively sharp bone structure.
- What Could Have Been: According to the commentary track for Superman: Doomsday, he was almost the voice of Green Arrow for Justice League Unlimited, but he had to pull out before recording began.
