James Wesley Marsters was born on August 20th in Greenville, California, but he grew up in Modesto. His father was a Methodist minister, and his mother was a social worker, who had almost become a nun. He first knew that he wanted to become an actor when he was in the fourth grade. He played Eeyore in Winnie The Pooh. His mother tried to explain to him that academic classes tied in with acting to get him to do well in school. James had this to say: "I was bit really young. I was Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh in fourth grade. I started to really love it then and then in sixth grade I did two musicals uh, 'The Roar of the Grease Paint, the Smell of the Crowd' and 'The Me That Nobody Knows'. And from that moment on I was just absolutely, absolutely bit. I remember singing a song, 'The Me That Nobody Knows' was a rock musical about street kids, and Uh I don't know man, I knew my song well, and I had a microphone, so everything was cool. But I just remember like having something to offer and then using, using what we had rehearsed to have kind of a dialogue with the audience. And that happened with me really early. I tend to think of the 'art' of performance art happening in the air between you and me and the script was just kind of a spring board for that dialogue. That's what I really crave. So I'm looking forward to getting back in front of an audience. Yeah, no cuts, no stuntmen, just me and you guys!" James describes his teenage self as “a pretty good kid until I hit about 15 and discovered punk rock.” After graduating from Davis High School, he attended a theater apprenticeship program at the Pacific College of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, California. And then, he said, “I went to Juilliard, and they kicked me out and all hell broke loose.” James on Juilliard: "And I was just like, oil and water. I stood out like up in the first, the first play, and told everybody when we were rehearsing that it was a piece of crap, that we’d better get going or we were gonna bore everybody to tears. And then … people didn’t like that. And I was an asshole, but I came from a place where we didn’t bore the audience so badly, that was a professional place…PCPA, in Santa Maria, it’s a really good professional theater…, the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts."

While James was doing regional theatre in Chicago, he co-founded the New Mercury Theatre company (named after Orson Welles' "Mercury Theatre" - I love Orson Welles :). In 1990, New Mercury's founders relocated to Seattle to try to find more opportunities. They played there in any available space that they could find and finally found themselves a more permanent space near Pioneer Square.

After talking with a friend who had been acting for years and had hardly any money James left to seek more job security in Hollywood. He arrived in Los Angeles in 1997 “willing to sell out, happily.” He had some small guest starring roles on various shows like Northern Exposure and Moloney. He then landed the role of vampire Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was a short term guest role but he became so popular that he became one of the main characters and Buffy's love interest on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Spike's love for Buffy James calls "unquenchable." The character was so popular that James is now going to be playing Spike on Buffy's spin-off Angel. Being cast in “Buffy” was “wonderful irony,” he said. “I get more acting jollies from the show than I did from any full season of theater. The writing is not safe. That’s the best thing about it. It can be horrifying, but in the most exhilarating way.”

The scar on his eyebrow is from when he was mugged in Queens and hit with brass knuckles.

James Marsters wants to adapt "Macbeth” for the screen. James says: "I think I’m a character actor who can be pretty if you apply enough powder.” He talks enthusiastically about returning to theater. He says: "I miss the interaction between the actors and the audience. I miss soliloquies, where you can turn boldly to the audience and speak to them. I love talking to one person at a time, if only for maybe three seconds, but specifically looking in people’s eyes and watching them jump. Oh, it’s wonderful! And dangerous.”

James is divorced and has one son and is currently single. He is lead singer of the brilliant band Ghost Of The Robot.

For relaxation James says: "Before a band date I sleep. I've got to admit it, I'm an absolute sleepaholic. My life is so busy that a hot bath, something to eat and sleep has to do it for me. No. I don't do the spa routine. I try to be a real low-maintenance kind of guy. And that wouldn't be relaxing to me. You know, you're not alone — there are always people, like the people who work there. But like I said, I haven't had a day off in 3 1/2 months. So if I had some time, I'd stay up late watching old anime, playing video games and eating. ... Oh, and feeling comfortable, that would include a lot of sleep.

I guess if I had time off on a Saturday I'd go skating. Yes, roller-blading on the sidewalk, from one beach to another.

On a Saturday night, I might sit around with friends. Thinkers, artists — I like people with wicked wits. And of course, I'd be flirting with the girls or talking about flirting with the girls."

James' comments on the Thank You James ad: "What did I think of the Variety Ad? Wow! That was one of the sweetest experiences I gotta say. I understand some of the people who are responsible for that are in the audience today. And I wanna really thank you guys. Thank you. Um, that had an effect in L.A. that I don’t know you are aware of. To have fans come together and do something that frankly cost that much money and takes that much planning, etc. Apparently doesn’t happen very often, if at all. I, we just were swamped with calls after that. Like 'What do you do to your fans?' (James laughed.) I didn’t tell them 'Everything' ... :) But, I ... Uh … To some degree it is hard for me to take compliments, frankly. And so in a way I don’t know how to react, but at the same time I am very deeply touched. And I feel like I have worked hard, I feel like I do put in extra effort and no matter how tired I am there is a certain kind of passion for just acting that comes through and I am glad that’s in some way resonated with you guys. Thank you."

James' view of William and his poetry: "I decided that they were good poems. Like early on, I really got into William’s corner and I really wanted to … I really wanted to fight for him. I felt protective of him. And I had this phrase going over in my mind, 'Effulgent is a good word, effulgent is a good word.' But I was also struck at how hard it is to write bad poetry well. I mean it’s easy to write bad poetry but to be delightful in it at the same time … There was one point when we were waiting for a re-write from David cause he wanted to extend the very beginning of the poetry to include the reveal shot and close up of me and revealing in the scene. And it took him forever and people were like we gotta film this, this thing is on air in two days, David. And he is just like, guys, it’s hard, it’s hard alright. He’s right."