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Bearing the kind of cocksure, "all-American boy" looks that summon
comparison to Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and countless Abercrombie & Fitch ads,
James Marsden used both his talent and photogenic features to become one of
the more talked-about young actors of the late '90s. Winning his first
starring role in Disturbing Behavior (1998) -- yet another film to take
advantage of the late-'90s teen horror craze -- Marsden weathered the
critical and box-office indifference surrounding that project to quickly
resurface in Bryan Singer's fantastically successful adaptation of the X-Men
in 2000.
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A native of Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he was born on September 18, 1973,
Marsden grew up with a sister and two brothers. Following a short stint at
Oklahoma State University, he dropped out of school to move to Los Angeles
and pursue his interest in acting. Marsden's move led to work as a Versace
model and to a brief role as the original Griffin on Fox's Party of Five (the
part would later be taken over by Jeremy London), as well as brief stints on
a variety of other TV series.
Marsden got his first big break with his lead on the short-lived ABC series
Second Noah; although the show didn't last long, the young actor received
enough exposure to win the hearts and hormones of a loyal group of teenage
girls. Marsden's growing fan base got another boost when he was cast
alongside Katie Holmes and Nick Stahl in David Nutter's Disturbing Behavior;
despite the film's lackluster performance, in part abetted by an
overabundance of teen horror films, Marsden was able to nab the plum role of
Cyclops in Singer's X-Men.
One of the most highly anticipated films of 2000, it allowed the actor to
work alongside the likes of Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Anna Paquin, and
Famke Janssen. Furthermore, its warm reception among critics and audiences
alike made Marsden one of the hotter young stars of the year, and also made
it possible to overlook his involvement with Gossip, a college thriller that
was one of 2000's most unequivocal disappointments. Marsden's rising
popularity was reflected in his busy schedule the following year; among his
projects was Sugar and Spice, a black comedy that cast him opposite fellow
up-and-comer Mena Suvari. In 2003 Marsden would once again appear as Cyclops
in the big-budget X-Men sequel, X2. |
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JAMES MARSDEN PICTURES |
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MOST POPULAR
Angelina Jolie
Jessica Alba
Paris Hilton
Scarlett Johansson
Jessica Simpson
Britney Spears
Christina Aguilera
Lindsay Lohan
Shakira
Beyonce
Hilary Duff
ADDITIONS
Miley Cyrus
Rihanna
Hayden Panettiere
Miranda Cosgrove
Selena Gomez
Demi Lovato
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Ashley Tisdale
Jonas Brothers
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