James Marsden life and biography

James Marsden is an American actor, singer and former Versace model. He is known for playing the superhero Cyclops in the first three X-Men films and for his roles in other commercially successful films such as Hop, Superman Returns, Hairspray, Enchanted, The Box, and 27 Dresses.

Marsden was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma. His father, James L. Marsden, Ph.D., a professor of animal sciences and industry at Kansas State University, and his mother, a nutritionist, divorced when he was nine years old. Marsden has four siblings: two younger sisters, Jennifer and Elizabeth, and two brothers, Jeff and Robert. He attended Hefner Middle School and Putnam City North High School, in Oklahoma City, and later went on to attend Oklahoma State University, where he studied broadcast journalism. He was also a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. However, Marsden left after one and a half years, opting instead to move out to Los Angeles in order to pursue his acting career.

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. Marsden continued to work steadily insuch films as The Notebook and Heights before returning for trhe third installment of the X-Men franchise. Although he appeared again as Cyclops, he in fact scored more screen time in Bryan Singer's Superman Returns playing Lois Lane's husband who must contend with the fact that his wife is in love with the man of steel. He also played opposite Amy Adams in Enchanted a romantic fable that combined live-action with animation.

Filmography:

1994: No Dessert, Dad, till You Mow the Lawn
1996: Public Enemies
1997: On the Edge of Innocence
1997: Bella Mafia
1998: Disturbing Behavior
2000: Gossip
2000: X-Men
2006: Superman Returns
2007: Hairspray
2007: Enchanted
Nominated
2008 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor - Comedy
2008: 27 Dresses

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