On the 15th of each month a new question and answer session with James is posted online. Please submit your questions using the email address to the right. Before submitting please have a look through previous Q&As to see if your question has been answered.
When acting, is it a fine line between being over the top and being believable?
No, it’s not a fine line it’s a glaring line. Even if you are one millimeter over, it’s glaring and you can feel the people around you on the set lose hope. The camera is completely unforgiving on that level.
Can you dance and if so, what kind of dance do you do most? What is dancing like for you?
I love to dance. I started break dancing before they called it break dancing - they called it “get down” in the 70’s. I can also waltz, but I’m afraid the punk rock movement did a lot of damage to my dancing ability.
What do you keep putting off for another day?
Hmmm... Cleaning out the boxes underneath my desk and cleaning out the garage, but none of that crap is mine!!
What do you feel you know most about?
I am just coming to learn that I don’t know much about anything.
Does any scene you've done in theater stand out as the most emotional?
In "Mortal Risk" in Chicago, when I had to play a murdering rapist who was pretending to be insane.
A compliment which embarrasses you?
All compliments slightly embarrass me but lately I’m learning to deal with it.
What's the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
Just now, answering these questions. I laugh a lot.
Favorites:
Lollipop flavor: chocolate mint or pina colada
PS3 game: Hard to choose. “Need For Speed: Most Wanted”
How long do you usually spend thinking about the things you are going to do? Are you impulsive or do you like to think things out first?
I’m in between. I used to be very impulsive and now I do think ahead, but I’m still rather impulsive and I love unstructured time.
Is envy a form of acknowledgement?
Yes. But it’s a form I’d like to avoid.
What sorts of roles do you see yourself playing--or do you see attracting you--as you get older?
I would like to play rock stars, physicists, ummm, spacemen, poets and psychotic judges. Or maybe just the dad.
How long does it take you to get ready in the mornings?
43 – 46 minutes.
Name at least one thing you don't want to end.
The Greenland ice sheet.
What is the most embarrassing song you love?
I’m a punk rocker, I have no shame! I have no secret Captain and Tenille song on my Ipod. I do have McFadden and Whitehead's “Ain’t No Stoppin' Us Now” but that was for an audition for Hugh Jackman.
Who was your first crush/love?
My first crush was unrequited - Kelly Wood, fourth grade through seventh. I wonder where she is now...
Favorites:
Anime - "Nausicaä", followed quickly by “Dragon Ball Z”.
Shakespeare scene - It's in The Winters Tale - when the queen is revealed not to be a statue but to be alive.
Either/Or
Electric or acoustic guitars? Acoustic.
Yesterday or tomorrow? Tomorrow.
1970s punk or modern punk? Modern definitely speaks to me. The 70's spoke to a different situation.
My uncle told me that it was better to learn to play guitar by ear instead of learning from a book. What's your opinion on that?
I think you should use both and avail yourself to use tablature or “tabs” which is a way to read music without having to read music. Also, tabs are available on the internet for free! Just type in the name of the song and tabs.
In one word, what best describes your personality in everyday life?
Considered.
You’ve been acting since you were a kid. Does acting make it easier or harder to really know yourself?
Much easier. One thing I enjoy about actors is that they are non-judgmental about the differences and weirdnesses that we all share. Acting forces you to admit that you could be evil or good or courageous or petty, depending on your choice.
What should you have done sooner?
Come to Los Angeles.
If you were shipwrecked on an uninhabited island would you build a solitary life for yourself or set out to sea and hope for rescue?
I would set out to sea.
What types of music, if any, do you listen to when you drive? Or do you prefer books on tape?
Good question. Books on tape, but I have a cheap cassette that plugs into my stereo system. I’m currently listening to the new Ron Suskind “The Way of the World” - a story of truth and hope in a world of extremism. I recommend it highly. It’s terrifying.
Either/Or:
Red or white wine?
Red.
Yes or No?
Can you touch your nose with your tongue?
No.
Favorites:
Board Game?
Othello - yup, its a board game!
Buffy and Spike's "bring down the house" sex scene was recently voted TV Guide's number one hot scene in television history. Your opinion on that?
It was pretty fun! My memory of it was that the stunt coordinator took 50 lbs of pointed metal to the face that night, so we all ended up in the hospital at the end of that night.
What bores you?
Local television news.
What is on your refrigerator door?
I’ll go check (he laughs)...there’s nothing on the refrigerator door here. My nanny doesn’t want us to blemish it.
After playing and performing a song multiple times, does it become routine? Or do you find yourself being drawn back to the situation that inspired the song and begin to feel the emotions all over again?
I feel it all over again. I have to be careful not to get teary eyed – it's terrible for the voice.
Do you think John Hart is a good man or a bad man?
He’s a bad man trying to be good.
How would you describe the perfect first kiss?
Relaxed lips, long and mushy, and just a little bit of tongue.
Either/Or
Sir Ian McKellen or Sir Anthony Hopkins?
I refuse to choose!
Favorites:
Vegetable - edamame
Places in California - The poppy fields outside of Santa Maria, CA; Big Sur; Humboldt County where the redwoods are.
How do you handle it if someone takes things too far in a scene, especially a fight scene or a love scene?
In a fight scene you go to the fight choreographer and he would definitely fix it. They’re very careful with actors in Hollywood. For a love scene I’m always the one pushing it too far.
In the last issue of Buffy's comic seasson 8 Joss makes Buffy gay. What do you think about this choice? And, what would Spike have thought about it?
I asked Joss about that and he said that she wasn’t necessarily gay but was experimenting. Spike would not accept that she was gay, but I would.
What quality in yourself would you like to improve?
My discipline. I relax too well.
If you could change one thing to make life easier for your own gender, what would you change?
I would make it acceptable for guys to cry.
Was there a particular event - eg. Vietnam, Watergate, or a particular person that made you politically aware or was it something you grew up with?
I grew up in a hippy household but the politics were not shared with me. It was midway through the Reagan administration that I began to wake up. It wasn’t until midway through the Bush Sr. administration when he raided the social security fund to balance the budget and nine months later claimed that Social Security was not solvent and needed to be “fixed”, which was a buzz word for killing the program. I think I was 23 years old.
Do you play any of your new songs to anyone first for their approval before you record them or perform them on stage? Or do you trust your own judgement?
I play them for my friends and family, not really for their approval but really just because I’m excited that I wrote a song.
Well, sometimes "regular" Q&A's don't happen as planned! However, James has devoted fans from over 100 countries who frequently write in requesting information about his songs and the meaning behind them. So for those fans (from as far away as Malaysia, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, and Argentina, to name a few) who may never have the chance to attend a concert or hear his song comments in person, here are a few clips about how some of his songs came about.
Long Time is whining about a girlfriend I lived with for three and a half years. I kind of woke up to the fact that it was less of a deep relationship than I thought it was at the time.
Angel was about a different girlfriend who I never really thought she liked herself as much as she should have. I thought she had reason to like herself a lot, so I wrote a song from my perspective that she really was an angel in the world....but she didn't see it.
Civilized Man was about a second AD (Assistant Director) who was working on a movie called Cool Money that I did in Chicago and he was a real jerk. He'd scream at everybody. I was the lead in it and he'd scream at me and he would just be abusing actors, and just pissing me off. And I dealt with it pretty maturely. I went to the AD and just said he's a problem for me and keep him away from me. I don't need to be screamed at in order to come to set. So I found that I had a lot of animosity when I got home from work at night, dealing with this guy, and so I wrote a song all about how I would like to beat him up. That's called "Civilized Man" and it's all about how hard it is sometimes to be civilized. I found out later that he was on cocaine, he was on drugs, he had a coke problem and that's why he was such a d**k.
No Promises is kind of a prayer out into the universe to find a good woman. It was written during a time when I wasn't dating and I was re-evaluating the kinds of people that I had been dating and trying to have a happier relationship. So it was kind of like, "when I do start dating again, I hope I find you."
This Town was written for the band, Ghost of the Robot when we were together, and the band said it was about primal hope; hope when hope makes no sense, when hope is actually, maybe kind of foolish but you stick to it anyway. And that somehow, that's kind of the best part of humanity - specifically the kind of hope where you're gonna find love. And, just, for me, how often someone's in love with somebody but that someone they love doesn't love them back, and that's person's in love with a third person and that third person's in love with somebody else; and how it sometimes feels rare that two people are actually in love with each other and how much longing and yearning and pain is involved in that. So I kind of wrote a story about that.
Poor Robyn - This was a song I wrote about an ex-girlfriend and we kept trying to get back together at fits and starts and finally I kind of wanted to close that chapter in my life and stop dating Robyn. It was originally called Over Now but then I changed it, trying to be as loving as possible about that.
Unfortunately, with James still working hard overseas, we will not have a supply of new questions this month. However, in order to have something of interest, please enjoy a few soundclips of his answers from previous sessions. His sessions are normally not taped, but we do have a small number of taped answers on hand and will use them as "fillers" for occasions like this when he is unavailable, or at least, until we run out of them.
From July 2007 - (Sound Clip) What is the hardest thing about guitar playing for you?
Being comfortable with the fact that the guitar is a very sloppy instrument. Guitar, by its nature, never hits the right note ever. If you go for a G, you're gonna get a G sharp or a G flat, period. There's no way you're gonna get a clean note on a guitar because there's the bending of the strings and there's so many variables. On a keyboard, you hit an E and you're gonna get an E. But, a friend of mine told me that perfection in music is not pleasurable and the proof of that is those irritating Christmas ornaments that will sing you the Christmas songs (imitates tinny melody). It's soooo bad, but it's perfect. It is in imperfection that the artist shines, that's where the expression comes in. So, the artist is always kind of sharp or flat, that's the expression - and that's what's so frustrating about the guitar but also so exciting - it never will be perfect.
From July 2007 - (Sound Clip) 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 or white, or rich or poor, Muslim or Christian, man or woman, 95% of our impulses, and dreams, hopes and fears 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 on a VERY deep level, on the deepest of levels, we're the same. So, when you meet somebody that's a stranger, that 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.
From September 2007 - (Sound Clip) How do you react to criticism, professionally and personally?
If I wrote it, criticism is hard. I feel like anyone who is writing their inner life is doing something very brave and, in a way, is beyond criticism. How can you criticize someone for telling you how they feel? I have a hard time criticizing most artists who write their own material actually because of that reason. If they've been honest and brave and set it out there, if it's ugly or beautiful - if I don't think of it as worthy, it's probably my fault. So it's very hard for me when my own work is dissed. It's less hard, more mechanical, if I'm working on a playwright and I feel like a play can work but I get a bad review, I kind of feel like I'm a mechanic working on a carburetor, thinking I just need to add 3cm to that "whatever" and the thing will start on time and run like I want it to run. So it becomes less personal. If you write it yourself, it's very personal.
Even though a full Q&A was promised for May, with James just having finished an incredibly busy and stressful year of steady,and sometimes grueling, work, and with his new project just ahead to prepare for, we have decided to give him a little bit of well-deserved vacation. The Q&A's will resume as soon as James' schedule permits.
Are you more of a city person or a country (nature) person?
I love both and refuse to choose. I love to relax in the country and work in the city.
Who do you see when you watch Buffy, James or Spike? Do you see just Spike so you can enjoy the show, or do you see yourself and judge your acting?
I see Spike and I’m happy when my acting is simple - that is when Spike is most potent, when the words come out.
Name two random things you would never do and two things you hope to do.
I'd never run a marathon or eat squid. I hope to act with Meryl Streep and buy a hybrid. You know, actually I might eat squid!
Who was the actor/actress that you felt made you come out fully in your acting even more than before, giving as good as you got or better, and why do you think that is?
Too many people to name; Kathy Bates, Lisa Kudrow, Hilary Swank and Holly Hunter for all the obvious reasons.
Favorites:
NFL Team - The Bears
Character you've played, other than Spike - Segismundo from “Life is a Dream” by Calderon at the Bailiwick Theatre in Chicago.
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Due to a busy Mr. Marsters, this month's Q&A is shorter than normal sessions. However, we should definitely be back to a fuller session next month.
How territorial are you?
I don’t like to admit this but I am extremely territorial. I never really thought about that. I must have people knock on my trailer, my bedroom is my sanctum sanctorum and if anyone kisses my girl I’ll kill them (not literally). I like to pretend that I’m a peaceful man. My peaceful act has worked for the past fifteen years.
What do you think the biggest all around human fault is?
That we see patterns that are not there. One of the best things about humans is we recognize patterns, so we get things like science, music, philosophy. One of the worst things is that we see patterns that are not there so we get things like racism, homophobia and Jerry Falwell.
Does theater allow for a lot of spontaneity, or do you find yourself hampered by the blocking in that regard?
There is a freedom in structure. Structure can seem like a straightjacket at first, blocking, beats, etc., but like a dancer or gymnast, once you master that structure you become free and can really fly.
I've noticed many of your songs have water/ocean references in your lyrics. Is this a subconsious thing that you're not that aware of, or is it a purposeful theme that represents something to you?
I noticed two years ago that I used the ocean as a metaphor a lot. In a weird way, I think of it as home.
If you could go back in time, what question would you most want to ask William Shakespeare?
(long silence) I don’t have any questions for Shakespeare. I think he lays it all out. He was so prolific and I think he explains himself well. I may be a bit too confident in this but I think I get the man. I think every play is saying that we as human beings all have a lot in common.
Do you ever feel that Buffy and Spike's relationship was somewhat unfinished? Needed closure?
I think thematically it did get closure. Spike really wasn't reformed after what happened in the bathroom - he seemed unworthy of her. By the end of the series they made him again worthy, but dead, trying for some tragic epic sweep I suppose. The problem I think, is that they didn’t want to spend much time on that - they needed the time to tell the story of the potentials so instead of doing something active I got to wear a jewel on a chain and blow up. It was the most time effective way to do it, but it lost something.
Either/Or
Paper or plastic? Plastic –it’s better for the environment surprisingly.
Professional or college football? I must say I enjoy professional - the violence factor is much higher in professional.
What would tempt you back the most, a favourite playwright or a good paycheck?
Playwright — without a good playwright, it’s worse then flipping burgers.
What makes you sentimental?
My kids.
The handicap of our youth is the missing insight we gain in our later years. Shakespeare, though, lets younger characters hold monologues in which his own wisdom shines through. Man on a mission or vanity, what do you think?
I don’t think so. I think Shakespeare’s young people are impetuous and rash and maybe a reflection of his earlier self. We think of them as geniuses but that’s just because Shakespeare writes so damn well and you can’t ask him to stop doing that. But he doesn't look down on young people - some young people are quite smart.
How do you feel about luck?
Luck is everything, as the Chinese know. We think we control our destiny but it is horrifyingly random. Luck is everything, everything, everything. To get here, everyone of your ancestors had to survive long enough to mate – that’s lucky. 99% of the species born on this planet are extinct. You are part of the privileged lucky few that have survived.
What is the best thing and the worst thing about acting?
The worst thing is to have to wait around for people to create a job for you. Creatively that’s deadly. The best thing is getting all the credit for all the hard work that’s done on the set that you never even knew about when they finally do give you a job.
If you had to gain 30 pounds for a role, you'd eat…
Ice cream, fried chicken, pork ribs, chocolate.
Have you owned any pets since Zachary died? If so, what?
No I haven’t. I’m just not home very much. Maybe I'd get a cat.
Do you think your age influenced the way you handled the pressures of Hollywood? Do you think you would have handled things the same way had you gone straight from giving Juilliard the finger to LA?
I would be in a morgue if I would have come to LA straight from Juilliard. I would have made Lindsay Lohan look like Dakota Fanning.
It has been told that you molded/transformed the original, scripted character of Spike into what he is now. Did you in any way change or enhance the character of Milton Fine and if so, how?
The story arc of Milton Fine was never told to me and I still don’t know what it was. I was not as much in the loop on Smallville so I didn't have the occasion to present my ideas.
Favorites:
Actor when you were growing up: Robert DeNiro and John Savage
Comedian: Lenny Bruce
Either/Or:
Xbox 360 or Playstation 3? Playstation 3.
Jetsons or Flintstones? I’m sorry if I offend you but neither one of those shows was very funny. Life for me began with The Simpsons and then got better with South Park, Robot Chicken, and Ren and Stimpy!
What do you remember about your 18th birthday?
Nothing whatsoever, so it must have been really good. I had graduated from high school and was going to the college of my dreams. I had lots of friends and access to really quality beer. It must have been really good and no one got hurt because Id have remembered that.
How do you define success in general?
Happiness.
What do you do to warm up your voice before a concert?
Sing. It's actually good if I blow my voice out a bit and sing really loud. This goes against what I've been taught about a nice warm-up, but it works. Other than that just a lot of sleep; that's the real key.
In PS I Love You, did you suggest the "vampire slayer" bit in it, or did someone else add it just as an inside joke and what did you think of the movie overall?
I missed the vampire reference so it must not have been me. Loved the movie hated myself but loved the movie. I think it's a great movie. I think my hair looked stupid.
What do you think Buffy and Spike did that last night together?
I think Buffy tried to sleep with Spike but Spike wouldn't have her. He really didn't trust her. He said they should just be friends. (laughs!)
What can you tell us about your role in the Dragonball movie?
I'm not really allowed to talk about any of the movie details, but I can say that James Wong is obviously a gifted and insightful director! When I got the role I had doubts. The more I live with it I realize that I am going to rock this harder than I have anything in my life. I'm hungry for it.
A painful lesson?
Always communicate no matter how hard it is to tell someone something's wrong. It's worse not to talk about it. I learn this every few years. The truth hurts for 3 days. Lack of truth hurts your whole life.
You have described yourself as tough when you are a producer. How much do you praise, and how much do you focus on being critical when needed?
Always praise, never criticize; but always ask them to do more, to do it faster and with more passion, and give them a confidence to risk making fools of themselves and then demand that they do.
Favorites:
Punk Band: Sex Pistols
Kurt Cobain Song: Hmmmm, whew.... "Rape Me" (his most honest song)
Bond and Bond girl: Connery and Craig. Moore didn't deserve those women. All the Bond girls are my favorite. I think they must spray something on them to make them more attractive.
Either/Or Star or Angel on Christmas Tree: Star.
Pool or Ocean: Oh? I'm ashamed to say... pool.
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