James Marsters

What’s the secret to starting an interesting conversation with a complete stranger?

Connect with them as a human being. We’re all the same. Whether we’re black, white, rich or poor, Christian or Muslim, man or woman, 95% of our impulses, fears, hopes and dreams are the same. We all want love - we all fear isolation. We all want better for our children than we had. Everyone. I watched something on the History channel about this. Apparently, there are ten dreams that comprise 90% of everyone’s dream-life and what that means is that on a VERY deep level, on the deepest of levels, we’re the same. So, when you meet somebody that’s a stranger, who seems different from you, just realize that they’re not different from you. You can connect with that person based on the deepest of truths about yourself. Just because you grew up with a popsicle in your mouth and they grew up in the desert trying to find water - well, talk about music, talk about your hopes for your children, talk about loving some girl who doesn’t love you; and you’ll find that they’re just like you.

Favorite Saturday Night Live cast member?

John Belushi, John Belushi, John Belushi, John Belushi. Uh, Dan Ackroyd, Gilda Radner, anybody in the original cast who was exposing society for the idiot dance that we’re really in. We have never been that close to brilliance again. Dana Carvey for a while, Will Ferrell - they had some edgy stuff, but it was a pale imitation of the originals. They were ripping into society. They were like Moliére in that they knew how far to push it, when to back off, and when to completely be stupid and not back off and rip a new hole in society. God bless them.