We chat heartbreak, dream dates and working on the saddest film of all time with the star of Nicholas Sparks’ new movie, The Best of Me

So, let’s begin by asking if there has ever been one that got away?

Not really. I look back and think about my first relationship and how devastated I was when we broke up. At the time I felt like she was the one who got away, but slowly I realised it was better we didn’t end up together.

Read More

“The D-Train” takes bromance to a very physical level.

When it came time to shoot the film’s central sex scene between stars Jack Black and James Marsden, the team behind the bawdy comedy decided to wait until the last day of filming. That gave the scene an added level of importance.

“It seemed like we were saving it for celebration time,” said Marsden during a question and answer period Friday at the film’s Sundance Film Festival premiere.

Read More

It’s not often that Hollywood actors come to Mumbai to promote their films. Given the fact the market share of American movies backed by Hollywood studios is only 10 per cent in India, it’s indeed a rarity to spot film stars from the West. Unless they are on a secret vacation and avoiding shutterbugs at all cost! These are the some of the reasons why we were intrigued to learn that James Marsden (of the X:Men fame) and Michelle Monaghan (feted for her strong part in True Detective) were in town for the promotions of their latest film based on Nicholas Sparks’ romantic novel: The Best of Me. Making the most of the event, hitlist sat down with the two and had a freewheeling chat.

Q. The late Paul Walker was the first choice for the role you play in the film. What was your reaction when you were offered the part?
A. James Marsden (JM): I don’t remember my first reaction. It was really tragic to learn about his demise and I can’t say enough about how good he was not only as an actor but also as a person. When they finalised me, all my thoughts were directed towards making sure I do justice to the role.

Q. Michelle, what exactly do you look for when you’re offered a script?
A. Michelle Monaghan (MM): I look for material that I haven’t come across before. As an actor, you don’t want to repeat yourself. If you do that, they’ll stereotype you and you don’t want that to happen. I took up The Best of Me because I always like Nicholas Sparks’ writing. Besides, I was getting an opportunity to work with a director such as Michael Hoffman.

Read More

We love when stars play along.

Hollywood hunk James Marsden appeared on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen alongside Minnie Driver last night, and while answering caller questions during the after show, the blue-eyed cutie ended up being put on the spot with a little game many of us are familiar with…but with a twist.

One fan asked the Best of Me star, “James, if you were gay, who would you shag? Who would you kill? Who would you marry?” and gave Marsden his three choices: Andy Cohen, Anderson Cooper and Neil Patrick Harris (yeah, that wasn’t awkward for Andy at all).

Read More

James Marsden dropped by the Today show to talk about his new tearjerker The Best Of Me.

The hunky 41-year-old actor also brought a picture from his high school yearbook that caused a wave of excitement too.

To James’ half-hearted dismay, the photo of his younger self appeared on screen, grinning ever so confidently and sporting the haircut so cherished back in the ’80s and so maligned now – the mullet.

Read More

The Best of Me actor, who starred alongside Gosling in The Notebook, dishes out parenting advice to the new dad who recently had his first child with the actress.

He’s following in the footsteps of Ryan Gosling and Channing Tatum by taking the male lead in a Nicholas Sparks film.

But one thing that 41-year-old actor James Marsden has on his predecessors is parenting experience, as a father of three.

Speaking to Yahoo Celebrity at the launch of his new film ‘The Best of Me’, the Oklahoma native dished out some advice to new parents, Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes.

Read More

By Justine Harman
OCTOBER 14, 2014

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been enchanted by James Marsden’s hyperrealized good looks: those striking cheekbones, the oversaturated blue eyes, and that “Hey, Girl” smirk. But when we meet at The Fat Radish, a sun-drenched farm-to-table eatery on New York’s lower east side, I realize what I always realize when I meet actors: James Marsden is just one man. He’s not some bizarre amalgamation of every out-of-reach hottie and chiseled screen star I’ve ever idolized. He’s just a guy who makes jokes that don’t land, gets worried that he’s hurt your feelings (when he hasn’t), and connects with whomever happens to be in his orbit—be she a microphone-wielding journalist or a drink-bearing waitress. (No wonder he was so good at playing Liz Lemon’s adorable hot dog vendor husband, Criss Cross, on 30 Rock.)

And yes, of course, he’s divine looking. But when he challenges you to a full-on beer chug—according to the actor, he and his dad both possess an uncanny ability to rocket back cold ones—you forget that he’s the star of Nicholas Sparks’ latest, The Best of Me, out Friday, and not just another frat boy teasing the hopeless competitor inside you. And therein lies James Marsden’s charm: No matter how old we get, he stays the same age. Save for a few salty flecks at his temples, he’s as arresting and youthful now as he was in 2000’s cult-loved Gossip (you know, the dark, sexy one with Norman Reedus and Kate Hudson).

Here, we grill the 41-year old on the curse of being born beautiful, his real-life high school sweetheart, and what it’s really like to play second banana to Gosling:

Read More

Based on the best-selling novel by author Nicholas Sparks, The Best of Me tells the story of two former high school sweethearts, Dawson (James Marsden) and Amanda (Michelle Monaghan), who find themselves reunited after 20 years apart. In their hometown for the funeral of their beloved friend, they are suddenly forced to face the love that they’ve never forgotten, as well as the life that got in their way. The film also stars Luke Bracey, Liana Liberato, Caroline Goodall, Sebastian Arcelus, Jon Tenney and Gerald McRaney.

At the film’s press day, actor James Marsden spoke to Collider for this exclusive interview about playing the romantic lead that the audience is rooting for (unlike in his last Nicholas Sparks film), sharing the role with Luke Bracey, getting the first kiss right, and how much he enjoyed working with Michelle Monaghan. He also talked about how he kept his appearance in X-Men: Days of Future Past a secret, as well as what attracted him to the highly anticipated HBO sci-fi/Western series Westworld, how Jonah Nolan sold him on the project, the terrific cast (which includes Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Rodrigo Santoro and Miranda Otto), and how he hopes that it goes to series so that he’ll get to do more. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Your first time around with a Nicholas Sparks movie (he was in The Notebook), you were not the guy the audience was rooting for, to get the girl.

Read More

For the stars of The Best of Me, James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan, having Luke Bracey and Liana Liberato play their younger selves was a blessing, and for Marsden a bit of a curse!

“It was great to see Luke go in there and sweep her off her feet. He set the bar a little high for me,” Marsden said in our exclusive video interview, as he and Monaghan laughed. “In the gym, too!”

Bracey and Liberato play Dawson and Amanda as young sweethearts who are basking in the glow of first love.

Read More

James Marsden was honored to take over the late Paul Walker’s role in The Best of Me, the handsome actor told Us Weekly in an interview on Monday, Oct. 6.

“All I can say about that is he is just one of those tremendous actors that was even that much more special of a human being,” Marsden told Us when asked about Walker. “There was a wonderful energy about him and he was a terrific actor. You always want to be good stepping into a role like this but [it] felt a little bit more of an honor to play this role because of him,” the X-Men actor shared.

Walker, who died in a car accident in November 2013, was originally cast to play Dawson in Nicholas Sparks’ upcoming romance flick. A month after Walker’s tragic death, the role was offered to Marsden.

Read More