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ONCE
BITTEN
He's
got a passion for PASSIONS and
a crush on The Slayer, but somehow he still manages to hold
up his bad boy image. James Marsters from BUFFY
THE VAMPIRE SLAYER tells The WB what it's like to
be the baddest incapacitated vampire around.
The
WB: Did you have any clue when starting out that you'd make
it big on BUFFY?
James:
Nope. When I got the part, Spike was supposed to die after
three to five episodes. In fact, I think the original
plan had me down as Angel's first victim. They told me,
'Look, we're going to bring you on for three to five episodes.'
Then we hit number six and just kept going.
The
WB: What is it about Spike that makes him so irresistible?
James:
He's a total contradiction. Going into it, Spike was really
sweet to his girl, Drusilla. He really loved her and treated
her like a queen. But, he's also a complete psychopathic
demon from hell. He's the kind of guy who's inexplicable
and interesting at the same time.
The
WB: What about Spike's wicked wit? Do you ever throw in
your own lines?
James:
No way! We follow those scripts down to every last comma
and conjunction. The writing on the show is exceptional,
really great stuff, but that wouldn't be the case if an actor
stepped in and changed it. The writers spend a lot of
time compacting the language so that it will sing, and if we
don't follow it exactly, it would blow the whole deal.
The
WB: Does the same go for Spike's way with females?
James:
I wish I could blame Spike's allure on my performances, but
I can't. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am really happy
with the work that I do, but what I contribute is really a small
part of the big picture.
The
WB: What's your favourite Spike moment so far?
James:
That's a tough one. Every episode has been so great this
season. But, if I had to choose, I'd have to say the fight
scene in episode seven. That's the one where Spike is
fighting Buffy while having flashbacks to a fight that took
place in the past. That's when we find out that he used
to be an absolute nerd. Doing that episode was both fun
and terrifying at the same time. It's that kind of challenge.
Trying something that is ultimately the scariest thing I've
ever done is what made me get involved in acting in the first
place.
The
WB: Who do you like better: Spike the badass or Spike the sweetheart?
James:
It's hard to say, man. Ask any actor what his ideal job
would be, and hands down it's going to be the character who's
all about kissing babes and killing guys. Ask the guys
on ALLY McBEAL what they really
want. They want to beat up some guy and take the girl.
So that aspect of Spike is really fun. But what Joss [Whedon]
is doing right now with the character is far more complex and
interesting than that. So in the end, I'll have a whole
lot more than just smashing heads into walls to be proud of.
The
WB: Do you and the other cast members have as much fun off-camera
as you seem to have on?
James:
Oh yeah. Once a week, a bunch of us from BUFFY
and ANGEL get together and read
Shakespeare. We just finished OTHELLO,
which was brilliant. After we're done with that, we usually
just kick back. Maybe do some drinking and singing around
the piano. I'll bring out my guitar, and we'll start rocking
and dancing - it's a damn good time.
The
WB: Do you have any other acting projects in the works?
James:
Not yet. I recently had to turn down a role in a small
film because of scheduling problems with BUFFY,
which is totally fine by me. That's what I would call
a golden problem. The truth is that I'm in a great position
right now. I'm totally excited and interested in what
is happening to Spike this season. Basically, I'm having
the time of my life. BACK
TO THE TOP
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