24hrs.ca

Titel: Former Buffy Vamp Sinks Teeth into T.O.
Datum: 24.08.2005


After playing the juicy role of a blood-thirsty vampire on the cult classic hit, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where does an actor go from there? James Marsters, known as the infamous villain Spike on the long-running series, hit the road. With tunes in tow, Marsters has been touring the club circuit promoting his debut solo album entitled, Civilized Man. "To me, playing live is like a three-hour magic trick," the 43-year-old explains. "Any little thing that goes wrong, and the spell is gone. This summer is all about touring and not sucking." Within moments of speaking with the former Buffy star, it is clear that Marsters has a certain depth that belies the gleaming shine of Hollywood celebrity -- and he’s not afraid to speak his mind. "You guys need to build a wall," he says of Canada, adding the U.S. could stand to take a few lessons from the Great White North. "Canada is what a nation should be. The difference seems to be in the temperament. There is an awareness with the people in Canada. They seem to read," he laughs. While hungry for fresh blood on Buffy, after having a taste of red carpet life, Marsters decided it wasn’t for him. "I love acting and I love the time between the world of acting," he says. "But there’s a lot here that can get you off your game -- like the whole red carpet party thing. I am sure that it can help, and maybe I am shooting myself in the foot by not taking part in it," he says. For an actor who went to Hollywood with expectations of snagging a part on a soap, the popularity of Buffy -- in which he starred alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar -- could have easily gone to his head. But after getting busted for Googling his own name, Marsters put the brakes on. "It was like heroine," he admits. "A friend of mine just said ’Stop now and walk away,’" he laughs. This weekend Marsters hits the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for The Canadian National Exp, an annual pop culture festival running from Aug. 26-28. Other big names on the bill include Elijah Wood, Margot Kidder, Linda Blair, Clive Barker and Elvira.