The REEL Addict 

You’d think as a comic book geek it would have been the role of Scott Summer/Cyclops in the X-MEN films that would have resulted in James Marsden winning me over. Given the fact that I find Cyclops a boring stick-in-the-mud character in the comics, who was given nothing to do in the films, it would have been hard for Marsden to make any sort of impression on me. There’s also just something about sunglasses that completely hides away someone looks. Have you ever noticed how you’ll find someone attractive or non-attractive, and then they take the sunglasses off and it all falls apart or all comes together? Then again, maybe that’s just the value I place in eyes being able to pull a whole face together.

The point of that tangent is that a guy with such a dashing chiseled face and piercing eyes shouldn’t be hidden behind sunglasses. Especially one whose face exudes complete charm, and seems to be the very definition of “hunk.” That’s why even though I missed out on him when he was cutting his teeth on teenie flicks (DISTURBING BEHAVIOR, GOSSIP, SUGAR & SPICE), television (”Ally McBeal”), and films I get yelled at for not having seen (THE NOTEBOOK), it wasn’t until a small little indie film called HEIGHTS that I stopped and thought: “Hello. Who is this guy?” Admittedly it was at times a film aiming too hard to be indie (i.e. being a little pretentious), but Marsden’s performance impressed me enough to encourage me to keep an eye out for his future projects.

He didn’t disappoint.

Though SUPERMAN RETURNS was lackluster, Marsden’s warm and charming performance managed to elevate the stereotypical role of that guy who is dating the girl who we know should really be with that other guy. Marsden actually made me root against Superman to get the girl. I mean, that’s impressive. Who actually roots against Superman?

Next Marsden graduated to two high profile and infectiously adorable films. In HAIRSPRAY he was not only dashingly handsome in all those retro clothes, he also made a guy named Corny actually seem cool (and he was progressive!), and more than past musical muster by singing and dancing surprisingly well. Apparently Mr. Marsden knew the best way to earn the love of this REELaddict is to show you’re willing to do musicals and then do them well.

Then there was ENCHANTED. Disney’s recent gem showed me something that I can’t help but love about Marsden, and that is his willingness to emotionally and physically throw himself into any role he takes, even one as delightfully goofy as this one (or even HAIRSPRAY). That takes confidence, and proves there’s a good dose of fun in the guy, and how can you not love that in an actor? Especially one who so humorously and without a trace if irony plays such an utterly self-involved, self-loving and oblivious goofball like Prince Edward.

After three successful films in a row (HAIRSPRAY, ENCHANTED, 27 DRESSES), Marsden has clearly left his boring Cyclops days behind, and seems to have no lack of work. Currently he has four films lined up, including two by indie favorites Richard Kelly (DONNIE DARKO) and David O. Russell (NAILED).

He’s also in a film called SEX DRIVE. I’ll leave those of you with naughty, lusty minds alone with that one.