American actor and musician James Marsters was born on August 20, 1962 in Greenvile, California. He aspired to become an actor since his childhood, when he played Eeyore in a school production of Winnie the Pooh. She then joined the theater group at Davis High School, where he participated in many school productions. After graduation, he studied at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and later, at the Juilliard Drama School.
Marsters first appeared as an actor in 1987, when he moved to Chicago to play the role of Ferdinand in the play The Tempest. Here, he had an acclaimed stage career, at one point gaining a nomination for a Joseph Jefferson Award. He also staged productions with his own group, the Genesis Theatre Company. In 1990, he moved to Seattle, where he formed the New Mercury Theatre, for which he staged a wide variety of plays. His television debut came in 1992, when he played small roles in the Peabody-winning series Northern Exposure.
Perhaps his biggest exposure came in 1997, when he was cast as Spike in the hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The English vampire character was supposed to be killed off, but positive response from fans eventually gave him a presence through the show’s six-year run. It was only in the show’s fourth season, though, when he became a series regular, a role which he maintained until the show’s finale in 2003. When the series ended, he moved over to its spin-off show, Angel, where he got second billing, next only to lead David Boreanaz; he stayed during the show’s entire fifth, and last, season. His other roles include guest television roles in Smallville, Without a Trace and Torchwood, and films such as for P.S. I Love You and Shadow Puppets.
Marsters is also a musician, initially playing covers in several venues in Los Angeles. He was the lead singer for the rock band Ghost of the Power for two years, after which he pursued a solo career, releasing the album Civilized Man in 2005.