James Marsters

Q’s: Describe a perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Whole wheat bread with the crust on, fresh bread a must, and chunky peanut butter. Add salt to taste, cut diagonally, or in the shape of a smiley face.

Q’s: You have mentioned times when you felt you did not fit in and times when you felt you belonged to something bigger, connecting with others. Is one feeling necessarily better than the other? Are such moments especially something which artists tend to experience?

Being connected with others is an essential part of a happy life. It’s ironic that artists are charged with reminding society about the importance of connecting with each other, when we artists so often have a problem connecting with others. Maybe if we could do it better we wouldn’t have to sing about it so much.

Q’s: What role/performance are you least happy with and why? What did you learn from that experience?

Playing Toby Belch in Twelfth Night my sophomore year at Juilliard, sweating in a fat suit in an airless room. I learned that you have to find the character in yourself. I can’t get it in a fat suit. I myself don’t get that many inspirations from externals - I don’t start with the way the character walks.

Q’s: What are three things that you absolutely cannot leave the house without?

I forget almost everything when I leave the house and have learned the hard way to do without the things most people consider essential.

Q’s: Are you big on traditions and celebrations when it comes to Christmas, birthdays, New Year’s and such?

I love Christmas. I love the idea of feasting in the face of winter. I love Easter and the celebration of nature and life. I love Halloween and its embrace of death. Yeah, I think all holidays are important and a bit deeper than we realize.

Q’s: If you end up doing multiple takes of a scene, do they come out pretty much the same each time, or do they come out quite different? Do they come out much different if you break for lunch, and come back in a somewhat different mood?

My takes come out very similar with subtle differences of shading, but I think I would be better served to be a little braver and switch it up. I keep reading that all my favorite actors do; DeNiro, Ian McKellen, etc.

Q’s: I know that you are an astute citizen with strong opinions about our government. If you were given the power to create or change any one existing law, what would it be?

I would create a system of federally funded general elections. I would do away completely with campaign contributions from any other source.