Jason Marsden. You've probably seen him, or heard his voice, since, despite his youth, his acting and voice-acting resume
is a mile long. You've probably also mistaken him for someone else.
(My friend:) "Jason Marsden ... wasn't he that guy who played Cyclops?"
(Me, sighing:) "No, that's James Marsden .... "
Perhaps it's his stature (he's about 5'4") that makes people overlook him. Or perhaps it's the fact that he's such a good
character actor, people tend only remember the roles, instead of the actor ... but in the conversations I've had since his
portrayal of a young Burt Ward in Return to the Batcave, it seems that people at large are finally
starting to know who I'm talking about. All I can say is, it's about damn time!!!
Don't misunderstand me; I'm most certainly not his only fan. Look online, and you'll find a number of fan clubs and sites
devoted to him (and when you see his filmography on the aforementioned sites, you'll find yourself saying "oh, okay, yeah,
I've seen that, and that, and that .... "). Myself, I can't even remember what I first saw with him in it; I just know it
was over a decade ago. And I know that one day while watching Fox's Peter Pan and
the Pirates I made the remarkable discovery (being the fan of voice-acting that I've always been) that this fine young
actor had another talent. "That voice sounds familiar .... Hey, isn't that that guy from that show?!"
While one is growing up, undoubtedly one stumbles across performers (be they author, musician, artist, or actor) that make
you go "Man, would I love to talk to them!" For me, Marsden was one of those people (even if he is about the same age as I
am). So you can imagine how thrilled I was when he agreed to do an interview. And how petrified. Thankfully, I managed to
keep the fan-girl in me moderately in check as one of my dreams came true. And I hope, after you read this, you'll take the
time to see some of his work, and become just as big a fan (if you're not already).
So let me formally introduce you. World, meet Jason Marsden.
Sequential Tart: How old were you when you were bit by the acting bug?
Jason Marsden: (laughs) "Bit by the acting bug ..." I don't know, five or six? You know ...
you get to that age where you're watching a lot of television, and who doesn't want to be on television?
ST: How did you break into showbiz?
JM: When we moved to California, when I was 10, for my father's industry (he's a dance teacher),
it was just one of those [things] ... you end up meeting people out here ... I guess I looked "cute" enough to be sent to
an acting workshop in Irvine called "Delmar Media Arts", and they sort of trained me for 12 weeks, sent me to an agent, and
it just sort of happened. So I was very ... lucky, I guess you could say ... in the right place at the right time.
ST: What do you know about the industry now that you wish you knew then?
JM: I wish I knew ... that it was hard, that it was judgment-based ... that success could come
and go ... It's not like a corporate job ... [where] the more you accumulate on your resume and the more hours you put in,
the higher up you get; it's simply not the case. That being said, if I had known that and known what kind of career
I'd get into, I still would have pursued it.
ST: Besides being an actor, what else did you want to be?
JM: I've always wanted to be an animator ... I just love — I mean, that's an ultimate
art form, right there ... I want to direct, write, produce ... y'know, I love the entertainment industry.
ST: In what ways is working on a weekly TV show different from working on a movie, and which do you prefer?
JM: Any actor will tell you there's more of a schedule to doing a television show. Even if
you're doing a sitcom or a one-camera [show], like NYPD Blue, you work so many days to complete [it],
there's usually a ritual leading up to it ... With a feature film, there's a schedule, but it could be sporadic; there could
be travel time, you could be called in and not work all day ... That's why you'll notice a lot of big movie actors are doing
television, and they'll tell you, it's because of the schedule.
I just worked with Alfred Molina ... He did a sitcom, and I asked him, "how come?", you know
— he's a fantastically trained actor in feature films ... And he said "the schedule." He had realised, in the twenty
years he's been doing films, he's been home for like maybe a week at a time ... So this way, you know, with a TV schedule,
he could be with his children and his wife ... Of course, his sitcom failed, and now he's off doing movies again (laughs).
ST: That's kind of ironic; I always thought it was the other way around — that TV actors wanted to do movies,
and then got stuck staying in TV ...
JM: Yeah (laughs), there's several facets to this, there's the daytime television people who
want to get off soaps, and I know some people who just want to do soaps, y'know?
ST: Which of your live-action roles has been your favorite, and why?
JM: Aw, man ... Well, it's gonna have to be [Return to the] Batcave, I guess. (laughs) I'm a big Batman fan! That was definitely ... oh, man
... just a great experience, 'cause ... yeah, big Batman fan, playing this ... well, he's an odd
character, Burt (laughs) ... But I more got off on just being in the suit, re-enacting some of the sequences, and being part
of that sort of ... lore that is, you know, The Batman.
ST: Which was your favorite voice-role?
JM: Next to Max [A Goofy Movie, An Extremely Goofy
Movie], probably Tino, from The Weekenders.
ST: Which role (either voice or live-action) have you liked the least?
JM: Uh ... probably working on The Tom Arnold Show ... I don't know
if anybody remembers that ... It was more of the atmosphere that I was around that I didn't enjoy.
ST: So it wasn't the actual role that you didn't like ...
JM: It was the actual job itself ... Least role? I don't know ... I wasn't really crazy about
my performance in How to Make a Monster. It was a pretty cheesy horror film that went straight to
HBO.
ST: I wanted to see that, but I couldn't find it to rent, and I wasn't quite willing to shell out the bucks for
a movie I hadn't seen ...
JM: (laughs) Yeah, no, don't ...
ST: In the later seasons of Step By Step, your role, Rich, became a major character,
as opposed to just being "the best friend". How did that affect you, suddenly being on the "front-burner", instead of the
"token sidekick"?
JM: It elated me to no end! I was flattered that they had asked me to join the cast ... Did
it affect me as an actor, having to make that transition? I don't know, I don't really look at it that way, it just
seemed like, "Okay, great! They're having me join the cast; it's going to be a lot more fun!" I guess.
ST: Did it affect your social life at all?
JM: No, I didn't have much of a social life then (laughs). I was single at the time, here and
there ...
And, you know, it was a sitcom, there was a schedule; it was even a better schedule,
because it was only four days a week! And I always maintained a good time ...
ST: Quite a bit of your television work has been in sitcoms — was that by fate or your own design?
JM: Ah, it was pretty much by fate. I think I'm sort of locked into the sitcom genre.
ST: So that's how you're type-cast?
JM: Pretty much, pretty much.
ST: What actor would you most love to work with, given the chance?
JM: There's so many ... Jim Carrey, Joe Pantoliano, Julianne Moore only because I have a severe
lust for her ... Robin Williams ... I wonder if it's weird, that I'm picking mostly comedians ...
ST: You've been a Ferengi in the Star Trek universe; tell us about the difficulties of working in so much makeup.
JM: That wasn't hard at all, because I looooove getting into full make-up. I don't find
it severely uncomfortable, its part of being an actor, playing dress-up ... I tell everybody, regarding that project, that
was the best 14-hour days I ever worked.
ST: Is that universe a place you'd like to work in, as an actor, on a more permanent basis, or do you think it
would ruin being a fan for you?
JM: Star Trek? Well, I'm not an extremely huge Star
Trek fan anyway, so it wouldn't affect that. I definitely wouldn't mind doing a series like that, especially
Star Trek. I always wondered, why don't they do something like Star Fleet Academy
...
ST: What other franchise would you like to work in, given a chance?
JM: I'd definitely like to do a superhero where I'm not just playing the actor who played
the superhero! (laughs)
ST: Which superhero would you want to be?
JM: I'd want to be Batman, but I haven't nearly the stature to portray him! There's one character
I always thought I could play if they ever brought it to live action — the Superboy clone, from the Superman
comics?
I always thought he's a great character — he's a hero, but he's
driven more by ego than wanting to help people. It's more that he's doing it for the publicity, and he sort of gets off on
that ... And I just think that's a great character for a superhero.
ST: You're a self-professed Disney fanatic. Tell us a little about your fascination
with them.
JM: Well, when I first moved to California, within a year I befriended some [kids] who lived
across the street from me, and their father worked at Disneyland. They asked if I would ask my parents if I could take the
day off from school, and they would take me. They did, and I was just blown away by this park! I mean it was unlike any other
theme park that I used to go to! The imagination, the reality — you're away from reality for a while, the way
they close it all in. Disney World, hell, that's even better!
I don't know, I was drawn to the characters, drawn to the animation, and the imagination
of it all, and I just started collecting things here and there ... Everyone loves Disney, it just
has a special place in everyone's heart.
ST: Which is your favorite Disney park attraction?
JM: "Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye".
ST: Oh, is that the roller coaster? ...
JM: It's not a roller coaster, it's like a ... well, it sounds like you've been to Florida,
have you been to Islands of Adventure?
ST: Yeah.
JM: Did you go on "Spider-Man"?
ST: Oooh! It's like that?
JM: It's like that, but without the 3-D element ... it's a moving simulator.
ST: If you could design a new ride, what would it be like? Would it be slow and full of imagery, like the "Haunted
Mansion", fast like "Space Mountain" (a roller coaster), or a stationary show, like "Alien Encounter" (a sort of horror movie
where things happen to a captive audience)?
JM: Probably a combination of the stationary show and the slow-moving [attraction].
ST: In working with Disney on several projects now, have you learned anything about
animation itself?
JM: Oh yeah, I actually have several friends who are animators, both in Orlando and
here. I always get my "fix" when I go to visit them at the studios. I learned that it's definitely something that I would
probably not be able to do in my lifetime, unless I just quit everything and like dived into art classes. ... But it's still
confusing to me as to why it costs so much ...
ST: Especially now that they've cut out the cost of plastic and such for cells, now that they do it all on computer.
JM: Yeah! I was actually talking to a friend the other day, cause he's a digital animator ...
and it just boggles my mind why certain shows [or] CG feature films cost so much more, especially if you do a sequel ... I
mean, the characters are already built there in the computer, it's sort of like you build a puppet, you just fix up the puppet
and put it in front of the camera...
ST: How did you get into voice-acting?
JM: It's just another one of those things that I started auditioning for when I was a child.
My agent sent me out for everything, you know, TV, commercials, feature film, and voiceovers, and it just sort of clicked.
You see, I was an only child, and I was used to — and careful the way you print this — playing with myself (laughs)
and I'm also a sort of perfectionist, so if I got an action figure based on a cartoon I was watching, I would have to imitate
the voice (gets dramatic) as closely as possible to make my imagination-time complete!
ST: How is doing live-action different than doing a voice? Which is more challenging?
JM: Oh, live-action, for sure ... Voice-acting, on the fun meter, is off the scale. You show
up, you don't have to be all primped up, or dressed up ... I've gone in sweats and t-shirts sometimes. And you get to work
with some amazing people, and goof off for four hours.
ST: If you could only do one for the rest of your life, which would you do, and why?
JM: Oh, man, I guess ... if I had to choose one ... probably voiceover. Like I said,
it's so much fun, and that side of the industry ... You know, that's something I've realised, that part of the entertainment
industry is so different. Voiceover television, feature film, even the music industry, is completely different with
the egos, the production, and what goes on. With voiceover, all the voiceover actors that I've worked with are the most down-to-earth,
charismatic, unaffected people, and the most talented people you could ever have the pleasure of knowing [or] working with.
Most of the friends that I have are voiceover actors ... We're all big fans of each other, we cheer each other on ...
ST: When you worked on Jungle Cubs, you did the voice of Louie and Shere Kahn. Was it
difficult, playing two different voices?
JM: That was a bizarre thing. First I was Shere Kahn, and they wanted the ... god, I forget
the actor's name that originated Shere Kahn ... but they wanted the English accent And then they decided to change that, so
I had to re-audition ... and everyone was recast, actually. And then I got Shere Kahn again, but with a different voice,
and then I got Louie ... And then for the second season they finally wised up and replaced me on Louie (laughs) because I
was just doing a horrible job, and they got Cree Summer who is amazing ... But doing both voices ... it's really no big deal.
It was only hard doing Louie 'cause, like I said, I replaced another actor, and all the animation had been done, so my performances
had to have been looped.
ST: Being such a Disney fan, what went through your mind when you did the voice for
Peter in Fox's Peter Pan and the Pirates? Were you comparing the two constantly?
JM: No ... not really. Probably at first, but when I ... was reading the scripts, I liked the
take that they were going with it ... They gave me the book to read, and I had never read the book. You know, it's sort of
like, when you think of Peter Pan or Snow White, you think of ... the Disney versions. And when you read the actual stories ...
ST: Like Bambi. Completely different story.
JM: Completely different story. So [Fox's version] was more
towards the book, which I really, really enjoyed ... I never [made] a comparison, I always respected the Disney
version. And I had fun; I was fifteen ...
ST: You've done the voice of Garrett on the animated series Extreme Ghostbusters (for those unfamiliar, this
series picked up the story about a decade after where the series The Real Ghostbusters left off).
How did you feel about doing a continuation of such a popular franchise, but with new characters? Were you a fan of the original
series?
JM: Oh, of course! I loved it, every Saturday morning! I think I even have a Slimer
comic book around here somewhere ... I loved it, I had a lot of fun doing that. He was a fun character, I liked the franchise,
I wish it were a bigger hit ... I wish they had actually made an action figure of my character, but they didn't!
ST: Yeah, man, that ticked me off!
JM: Yeah, it's the whole "He's in a wheelchair, it'll freak kids out if they play with a guy
in a wheelchair ..."
ST: How did you get involved with Spirited Away?
JM: I just auditioned! (laughs) I'm laughing because I didn't realise the scope of the project
even as I was doing it, because I'm not an anime fan ... But I can record auditions from my office in my home. They sent me
the copy, I recorded it in my closet, a week later I was booked on the job. And the only thing I knew about it was that Kirk
Wise was attached, and John Lasseter, and I'm a big fan of both of them. It was primarily ADR ["automatic dialogue recording"],
which I have no problem with ... and we just did it. I didn't really even understand the story (laughs) because the only parts
that I recorded were the parts where Haku was talking ... I didn't see the complete film until a month later, and I was blown
away.
ST: Tell us a bit about the character you voiced.
JM: Haku ... he's sort of the helpful spirit that helps Chihiro as she gets lost in this ...
bizarre land, trying to turn parents back from pigs into human beings ... He's just sort of mysterious, you don't know what
side he's on, you know, is he helping the heroine, is he on the side of the evil witch ... He's got a mysterious past about
him, as well ...
ST: You said that you were not a fan of anime. Now that you've done this movie, what have you learned about the
genre?
JM: Not much about the genre. I mean, I know there's a great respect for it, I always knew
that ... It's not like I don't like it, I just never gravitated towards it. I learned that Hayao Miyazaki is like the
Walt Disney of that genre ... It's obvious to me, in the products, that they take great care and research, and the artists
are just ... more than brilliant. It's a different culture, you know?
ST: Moving along ... Static Shock was based on a comic. What other comics would you
like to see adapted into an animated series? What characters would you like to play?
JM: That's tough, because I haven't bought a comic in so long ...
ST: You can go with the ones you used to read as a kid ...
JM: Well, most of the ones I read as a kid have been, like The Tick?
I would have liked to have seen The Tick played more like it was in the comic... although I did like
the animated series (laughs).
ST: What went through your mind when it was revealed that your character on Static,
Richie, was going to become a superhero too?
JM: I thought "Great!" (laughs) I thought it was a little unnecessary ... and the producers
will argue with me on this ... Richie's powers are that he's like super-smart ... therefore he can solve any problem and he
can create all sorts of fantastic mechanical devices, but they never really incorporated that into any other episode after
that. They did it because the focus groups wanted Richie to be a hero ... but I'm sure if they had their way, Richie
would still be back in his office, back at the "Fortress of Solitude", "shock-voxing" his opinions to Static.
ST: How did the crossovers with major DC characters, from Batman
and Justice League of America, come about?
JM: Well, it's the same company, same producers, and I'm sure they thought it would be a good
ratings boost.
ST: Who is Tino Tonitini?
JM: He's from The Weekenders. He's a twelve year-old boy, an only
child, like myself, very sarcastic ... He's got a core group of friends, and they enjoy spending their Fridays, Saturdays,
and Sundays together every week.
ST: So, do you think you like this character so much because you feel he's the most like you?
JM: Yeah, for sure; that and the creator and director, Doug Langdale, he ... it was also based
on his childhood, and I found a lot of similarities with the character, beneath the surface ... And the fact that he let all
the actors do pretty much whatever we wanted. We could change lines, we could ad-lib, and just make it our own ... I always
liked that sort of freedom.
ST: Is your voice modulated for the series, or can you really get it that high?
JM: No, it is modulated — four percent, we just found out! Same with Richie, as a matter
of fact.
ST: Tell us about your experience playing Burt Ward in the made-for-TV movie Return to the
Batcave. What kind of preparation did you have to do, physically and mentally?
JM: Well, luckily (laughs) for the physical aspect, my girlfriend is a yoga instructor, so
I dived into yoga. This was like months before I even auditioned. So I discovered yoga, I got into the best shape of my life,
which was a good thing, because of all the semi-nude scenes that I had to do, and the physical stuff. I was definitely in
shape mentally and physically for that. Another preparation was meeting with Burt himself. I went to dinner with him, read
his book ... 'cause basically the story is told through ... well, their eyes, obviously, it's based on ... both their books,
Back to the Batcave and My Life in Tights, that's where all the stuff has
been lifted. So I talked to him. I didn't really watch any of the episodes, because we weren't really doing any reenactments,
really ... I watched his audition tape, which, if you ever saw his audition tape and you saw the audition in the Batcave
film, it's almost precise.
ST: What's your favourite animated film?
JM: Aladdin.
ST: You've got cats named Aladdin and Jasmine, right?
JM: Yeah, yeah! (laughs)
ST: What's your favourite live-action film?
JM: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
ST: Your favorite TV show?
JM: Right now, it's Six Feet Under
ST: I haven't seen that ...
JM: Ohm'god, it's amazing ... you've got to watch it!
ST: What music do you like?
JM: I like all kinds. Everything except country, really.
ST: So is that the music you hate?
JM: Ah, hate is such a strong word. I mean, people work really hard in that industry;
it's just not in my acquired taste.
For example, I'll tell you what I got in my CD player right now; this will tell you the scope
of music I like. I have the soundtrack to Star Wars: Episode One. I have this band I saw in Nashville
called The Floating Men, Marilyn Manson, Elton John, Billy Joel, and Prince. (laughes)
There was a time — and I used to get made fun of a lot — that all I collected
was soundtracks ... I liked scores, I liked music ... You ever notice people talk about a song, and they say "oh, did
you hear those lyrics?" It never registers to me, because I always hear the music before I hear the lyrics.
ST: What would be the theme song of your life?
JM: (laughs) This is gonna be totally cheesy, but I guess probably the Danny Elfman theme to
Batman. It's so unlike me — I guess it's the way I' d like to be, it's so dark, and
mysterious and bad-ass.
ST: What are your favourite books?
JM: I used to read a lot of Stephen King, when I was younger ... I started reading again, recently
... I can't pinpoint ... I guess I'd say the horror genre ...
ST: Do you not see yourself as a "reader"? Or is it just that you don't have time for it?
JM: Eh, it's not time. It's a horrible thing to say, but I really would like to read
more, I don't know why I don't. I'm more of a visual person, but I think that reading's extremely important. But I'm
very easily distracted ... It takes certain books to really grab you in ...
ST: If you're so big into horror novels, are you also into horror movies?
JM: Yes I am.
ST: Which is your favorite?
JM: Probably ... Army of Darkness... I was just watching it yesterday,
as a matter of fact, with the director's and Bruce Campbell's commentary.
ST: Have you seen The Ring?
JM: I have ... I didn't like it very much.
ST: What about Ringu, the original Japanese version?
JM: I have ... It was good for like the first five minutes, and then just gets really drawn-out.
Yet at the same time I probably liked that version better than the American version.
ST: So do you prefer your horror more along the "hack-em, slash-em" lines?
JM: Oh yeah. Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream,
Texas Chainsaw Massacre... I can't wait to see this Rob Zombie movie, House of
a Thousand Corpses. They weren't going to release it because it was so gory, Universal wasn't
about to show it to anybody, which just makes me want to see it even more.
ST: Most fans of animation and science fiction are big collectors — what do you collect?
JM: I collect action figures, mostly. I have a Batman room, with just
Batman stuff ... And I have a Disney collection.
ST: I heard something to the effect of you painted the walls in your Batman room ...
JM: Yes, it's true.
ST: Did you paint murals on them? ...
JM: I guess it's sort of like a mural. Like one side is green with a bunch of question marks,
like The Riddler ... It's like wood paneling ... The Riddler side was the only side that I actually filled in the grooves,
'cause it took too damn long, so I had to redesign everything. There's a Penguin side, where the panels are painted white
and blue, with a stencil of umbrellas here and there. There's a Joker side, which is purple with a bunch of "Ha ha ha"s spray-painted.
And a Two-Face side, which is sort of patterned after Tommy Lee Jones' outfit ... Oh my god, I sound like a Trekkie ...
ST: What's the prize of your collection?
JM: With Batman, I have Bob Kane's autograph on an art gallery invite.
With Disney I have one of the actual "Haunted Mansion" stretch paintings.
ST: Really??? How did you get that??
JM: I got it at an auction ... The story is they replace them all the time. The one I have
allegedly is from the seventies. It's actual oil on canvas. I should get someone it to really take a look at it, but I'm afraid
they're going to say, "Oh, it's a knock-off, kid!"
ST: Do you have any action figures of yourself?
JM: Of characters I've done the voice of, but none of me ...
ST: Oh, I meant characters you'd done the voice of ... I don't expect you to go commission a doll of yourself
...
JM: (laughs) Don't think that I wouldn't! There's actually a place down the street from
me — and I haven't taken the guy up on it — where they have one of those machines [where] you just sort of sit
down, they scan your face ... No, I'm gonna wait until I do a film or something where they do it for me. I wanna earn it.
ST: So what action figures do you have of you?
JM: I have Peter Pan, from Fox's Peter Pan and the
Pirates. I have this really shitty cartoon I did called Cyber 9, one of the characters I did
there ...
ST: I've never heard of that one ...
JM: Yeah, oh god, that was awful! It was basically Star Wars!
... I had a horrible time doing it ... But they sent me to a Fox party, which was really cool, so
... And they gave me all the action figures.
Let's see, what else, what else ... yeah, there's no Garrett action figure, but I do have the
other [Extreme] Ghostbusters action figures.
ST: What things do you do to relax and have fun?
JM: Hang out with friends, go out for a drink, watch TV (laughs) ...
ST: What do you find the most frustrating about working in Hollywood?
JM: The rejection. The judgment. I could embellish, but it would just a longer explanation
of those two terms ...
ST: What's the most rewarding aspect?
JM: The experiences ... the money, of course .... entertaining people ... I have a big ego,
admittedly; it's a big ego feed.
ST: What goals have you set for your career?
JM: I always jokingly say I'm going to take over Hollywood — I'll spare the innocent,
don't worry ... I'd like to produce and direct.
ST: What projects are you working on now?
JM: I just booked, actually — you're the first to know — they're doing an animated
version of The Hulk. So I'm playing Bryce Banner, Bruce Banner's son ...
ST: He has a son?
JM: (laughs) In this version he does ... who is also a Hulk. I just hope it's not corny like
Popeye and Son.
I have an episode of Just Shoot Me coming out ... unless the show
gets canceled beforehand (laughs). And I do Fairly Odd Parents, for Nickelodeon,
and ... just a slew of animation.
—
I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more from Marsden in the future.
