James Marsden is rarely gossiped about, have you noticed that? There are updates about his love life every now and then (he got a divorce in 2011, and he’s currently with British musician Edei) and he works constantly on a wide variety of TV and film projects. Everyone has seen him in something and yet his name is rarely mentioned in the conversations of “who’s the biggest star” or “best actors of their generation.” Maybe he doesn’t belong in those conversations, but I do believe he’s more talented than people believe, and he’s fashioned a really solid career for himself. Marsden chatted with Vanity Fair to promote The Stand and some other projects, and I enjoyed this piece. Some highlights:
He never cared if he worked in TV or film: “I was only interested in pursuing the interesting material and filmmakers regardless of the platform. There was definitely a time in the ’90s and maybe early 2000s when you could say there were some distinctions being made between ‘TV actors’ and ‘film actors.’ Some snobbishly felt that TV is where you go to make money and film is where you go to make art, an idea I never really subscribed to. There was a feeling to some that a film career was more prestigious and attractive than a career in television, but I don’t think I ever worried myself with whether or not I was perceived as one or the other.”
He didn’t struggle at all when he first moved to LA: Marsden’s father agreed to support him financially for his first year in Los Angeles, and set him up with a friend of his, whom Marsden said was “a very successful casting director.” That casting director in turn connected Marsden with a manager, and it was off to the races. “I had parents that supported me, I had a guy who was sending me out on auditions. I wasn’t pounding the pavement knocking on agents’ doors. I had representation right when I moved out. I was very, very grateful and lucky. And then I was like, okay, now it’s up to you. Now you gotta do these auditions and make people remember you and show people why you should be cast in this.”
He was offered a job on Days of Our Lives soon after coming to LA: “In my mind at the time, I was like, this is great! I’ll be paid to be an actor on a show my girlfriend used to watch every day? It’s the most secure job you can have as an actor. That means continued work for three years. My manager said, ‘Wait a second.’”
Completing The Stand just before the pandemic: “I know that the filmmakers want to handle it with the utmost respect for the situation. Obviously, there’s been a lot of life lost through all of this. I hope somehow it resonates in a positive way and not in a reckless way.”
The model for his career: “Jeff Bridges, I keep going back to. That’s the career that I want. He’s doing interesting work. He’s got a country band. He does photography. I think he lives on a ranch. I like his career.” Marsden keeps a close eye on veterans like Bridges, “these actors [who] are known for being these marquee guys early in their career and then they start doing more character things, more comedy.”
He wants longevity: “I want to be around. Longevity and diversity of roles. I’m not interested in just playing the same old guy. To be honest, I’m more Prince Edward [in Enchanted] than I am Scott Summers in X-Men.”
What kind of genres he would like to do more & see more: “I would love to see more Frank Capra, Jimmy Stewart movies come around. The sort of Tom Hanks roles,” he said. He’d also be interested in taking the lead in a biopic. He mentioned Frank Sinatra, which would allow Marsden to once again show off the singing chops he demonstrated in Enchanted and Hairspray.
I think his idea of aiming to have a Jeff Bridges-like career is kind of perfect, actually? Jeff Bridges came from a privileged, well-connected family (like Marsden), Jeff was very beautiful as a young man (like Marsden) and he was cast as “the good looking guy” a lot in the early part of his career (like Marsden). Jeff Bridges also did all kinds of different films and projects, like Marsden. I also think Marsden could aim for a Kevin Bacon-like career, right? That fits too. It’s like Marsden is a character actor in the body of a leading man. Also: I didn’t know that he had that kind of charmed life coming to LA! He really didn’t have to struggle at all. (Also: James Marsden is 46 years old, my mind is blown.)
Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red.
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