James Marsden: The Other Man

You may last have seen classically handsome young actor James Marsden as Cyclops in the "X-Men" films. It would seem that this versatile, blue-eyed cutie would always get the girl in real life (he has wife Lisa and a young son) and, certainly in films but he's given some competition for lead actress Rachel McAdams' hand in the new romantic film The Notebook in which Marsden plays a very rich Southern gent. When we chatted with the actor in Beverly Hills, the first thing we noticed was how closely those big blue eyes matched his shirt. In the film, James' character Lon is injured in World War Two and spends some time in a hospital all banged up and in a body cast...

TeenHollywood: What was it like wearing a body cast?

James: It was painful. It was one of those things that I have to find some humor in. Otherwise you will just drive yourself mad sitting around in a body cast for hours but then you go 'well this is the only time in life hopefully that I am going to be in a body cast so.' I always laugh at the things that actors have to do sometimes that you would never ever have to do unless you were an actor.

TeenHollywood: You looked pretty beaten up.

James: It was kinda silly. I think Nick (Cassavetes, the director) was like telling the make-up people 'mess him up. He is too pretty. I want black eyes and a broken nose and your head bandaged and a full full body cast.' I wasn't trying to look pretty. They put the make-up and stuff on my face, they give you black eyes but they don't give you the swelling. So it just looks like purple make-up on your face.

TeenHollywood: The Notebook is all about true love. What is the craziest thing you have ever done for love?

James: When I was with my high school girlfriend, I didn't have my driver's license yet and my bike was broken and she lived five miles away. I don't think I have ever run five miles in my life but I ran to her house in the middle of the night because I had had a dream about her. I knocked on her window and told her about the dream. She was in high school, she thought I was nuts. She was like 'what are you doing?' you know, then I walked back. That was the craziest thing. It was a vivid real emotional dream.

TeenHollywood: Are you concerned that people will think of this film as too cheeseball romantic or a chick flick?

James: No. I don't think movies are chick films or guy films. I think movies are either good movies or not good movies. I would gladly go see a chick film if it is a good film. If it is a good director a good cast I will go see it. It doesn't matter what the subject matter is.

TeenHollywood: When your wife sees it, do you think she'll get all emotional?

James: I think it is inevitable that she will. She read the script and she cried during the script. She says that 'more than love, old people make me cry.' She says old people in love especially make her cry. (James is speaking of older characters played by actors James Garner and Gena Rowlands). I am glad that these movies get made because like 80 percent of the movies out there are a lot of big special effects, action adventure kind of things. Of course I am also a big fan of those movies. I am in a couple of them.

TeenHollywood: How hard was it to become a southern gentleman in this? Was that a culture that was totally unfamiliar to you?

James: No, I am from Oklahoma so it is not really southern but my wife is from Nashville. I have always been a fan of Tennessee Williams and Paul Newman actually. I watched The Long Hot Summer, (a Paul Newman classic) and I love what he does in that movie. He had that great twinkle in the eye kind of charming southern thing. But I also wanted to make sure that I wasn't too Southern with a heavy accent. I get to dress up in 1940s clothes. I'm leaning up against an old 1940s car in army wear. It was fun stuff for me to do and I just kind of ripped off Paul Newman. (we laugh).

TeenHollywood: The Rachel McAdams character Allie seems to love both you and Ryan Gosling in the film. Did you really believe she did?

James: I think what is engrained in you since you are a child is that hopefully you will fall in love with one person and here she has actually fallen in love, which I do believe, with two guys. Both in different ways and for different reasons. Logic can't explain. Somehow it's out of her control.

TeenHollywood: Rachel's character Allie's parents really approve of your rich guy character but not Ryan's character because he's lower class. When you fell for your wife, was there any "Oh, no, not him. He's an actor!"?

James: Thank God, she comes from a very creative family as well and her father is a songwriter so that helped. We lived together before we were married and it was never an issue. They were smart enough to know that it transcended just being lustful or caught up in 'oh I am so in love.' We were best friends, we knew each other for a couple years before we started dating. There weren't any sparks flying or anything just 'oh nice girl, nice guy.' Then as we got to know each other it was 'Wow great, great person. I just want to be around this person all the time.' But we were never met with any rebuttals from the family. Her family felt as though she was lucky and my family felt I was lucky.

TeenHollywood: So she is not an actress?

James: She is but she has kind of put that on hold, maybe indefinitely since we have our three year old. She is enjoying that and finds that very fulfilling and so do I. We are kind of going old school, she is raising him and so am I. She is loving it and if she is loving it then I am loving it. I hopefully will keep working.

TeenHollywood: Are you based out here in L.A. now?

James: Yeah. Wanting to be an actor in Oklahoma, you got a better shot at saying 'I want to be an astronaut'.

TeenHollywood: You are also in a new controversial film about a guy with AIDS who wants to kill the guy who gave it to him. The 24th Day is not exactly a mainstream story. Did you have any hesitation about that?

James: No, I don't want to ever have just a mainstream career. I am very happy and creatively fulfilled doing some really cool independent projects. I tend to gravitate more towards whatever is 180 degrees from what I just played.

TeenHollywood: You'll probably be starting the third X-Men film soon. Where does that stand now?

James: I don't know, if you find out please let me know. I think Fox has expressed interest in bringing everybody back. I think they are working on THE story and how they are going to pay everyone. I talked to Hugh Jackman the other day and he said 'do you know anything about X-Men 3?' and I said 'I haven't a clue.' He's like 'if they tell you call and tell me'. Fox has already nabbed the weekend May 2, 2006 for the release of X-men 3 but that is subject to change as well. It could go to Christmas.

TeenHollywood: Is there anything you think might be easier the third time around?

James: The first one was easy and the second one was pretty easy. We were all comfortable in the suits and the way everything operated and worked so it was pretty simple.

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.