Under his unspeakably handsome exterior, there lies a drama nerd with a clever plan.

Let’s get this out of the way: Does James Marsden know how good-looking he is? The answer is yes. “I know I have a face like a model,” Marsden says, half-embarrassed. “But I’m actually just a goofy drama nerd underneath.”

Take one look at Marsden and it’s easy to see why he’s so often cast as the top-dog romantic rival in films such as X-Men, The Notebook, and Enchanted. Unlike Ryan Gosling, with his hang-dog eyes, or Hugh Jackman, with his brooding manner, Marsden has a face that betrays no inner turmoil, no secrets. It’s like he jumped out of a propaganda poster for American prosperity; he looks pretty and smug. His all-American features could almost be described as corn-fed, were it not for the patrician cheekbones, high and hollow.

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James Marsden has been very busy lately. Aside from playing the starring role in this very magazine’s fall fashion preview, the actor has a total of four films coming out in the next four months. Oh, and he’s also teamed up with the good folks at Casio G-Shock, who celebrated their 30th anniversary last night with a party (featuring a performance by Eminem) and the unveiling of their new premium line of MT-G — Metal Twisted G-Shock — watches. While we waited for Marshall Mathers to take the stage, we sat down with Marsden to talk NY vs. L.A. style, why he’s been taking risks on the red carpet of late, and what it’s like playing the ultimate style icon — JFK — in the forthcoming film, The Butler.

Esquire.com: First off, congrats. You’ve had a very busy summer with promoting multiple movies and showing up in our August issue. How’d you find the time to partner with G-Shock?

James Marsden: Thanks. Yeah, it’s been a great few months. Casio approached me about this celebration after somehow finding out that I was a watch man. I’ve always loved watches, my whole life. When I was growing up I always thought of having a great watch as that next step — of making it, of a rite of passage. My first watch was a Casio, one of the basic models. I think it was around junior high. I’m aging myself here, but I remember how awesome that light-up feature on your wrist was… it was like having an iPhone back then. Very fancy.

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Thanks to Diana from TeamCoco.com for heads up!

James Marsden has been climbing the Hollywood ladder for quite some time. He first entered the public consciousness with his role as the superheroic mutant Cyclops in the X-Men series, and followed that up with leading roles in a number of extremely diverse projects, from kid-friendly flicks like Enchanted and Hop to serious and disturbing adult dramas like The Box and last year’s Straw Dogs. At the moment he can be seen in Asia on the FX network sitcom 30 Rock, where he stars opposite Tina Fey as her character’s charming but directionless boyfriend, Criss. And later this summer you’ll be able to see him on the big screen once again in the films Bachelorette and Robot and Frank.

DA MAN: On 30 Rock, your character Criss is sort of a loveable free spirit. You’ve played similarly kooky characters in the past, such as your memorable guest spot as princess castle squatter Barry in Modern Family. Would you say those sorts of character are closer to your actual personality than say, intense, straightlaced fellows like David Sumner [from Straw Dogs] or Scott Summers [from X-Men]?
James Marsden: Yeah, I’m not sure what that says about me but I definitely am drawn to characters that have a specific comedic “hook”. The more I step outside myself the easier it is and the more fun I have playing with a personality that might be quite contrasting to my own. Also, comedically, I like the characters that are just a bit off upstairs but are the most sincere.

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Kirsten Dunst is getting in touch with her raunchy side.

The 30-year-old starlet gets it on with an X-Men star in the upcoming comedy Bachelorette…

Dunst costars in the ensemble as a young executive organizing a high school friend’s wedding when everything that can go wrong during the big weekend does.

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James Marsden has made his name in a variety of Hollywood movies. He was Cyclops in “X-Men” and Lois Lane’s boyfriend in “Superman Returns.” He has also made his mark in romantic comedies (“27 Dresses”) and musicals (“Hairspray”). However, before he was a star, he was a kid in Oklahoma who one day dreamed that he could make it in the movies.

On June 9 in Oklahoma City, the deadCENTER Film Festival bestowed upon Marsden the honor of being one of two men to win the inaugural Oklahoma Film Icon award, along with producer Gray Frederickson (“The Godfather, Part II”). Marsden also has a new movie screening at the festival, “Robot and Frank,” starring Frank Langella. Marsden took time to talk with me at the festival about his new movie and returning to Oklahoma to receive his award.

How big is it for you to bring your new movie back to Oklahoma and show it at the deadCENTER Film Festival?

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James Marsden may play the dopey Criss on NBC’s “30 Rock,” but the actor himself says he feels the need to be extremely up on current events to keep up with the whip-smart “30 Rock” staff.

News and culture references are constantly being added to the scripts, Marsden told us recently, and he feels “the need to keep up in order to maintain the water-cooler talk.”

The actor has been playing Liz Lemon’s love interest in a recurring role, and it’s a character Marsden describes as “a dope, but a loveable one. He has his gourmet hotdog truck, [and] nothing ruffles his feathers, whereas Liz overthinks everything.”

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“People think I’m the guy who never gets the girl,” James Marsden says, and he has a point. Over the course of two decades, he has established an on-screen reputation as the amiable, boy next door who’s sweet enough to take home, but just square enough to leave behind.

In “The Notebook,” “Enchanted” and even “X-Men,” Marsden ends up getting passed up for someone else. That’s one reason his performance in “Straw Dogs,” director Rod Lurie’s remake of the 1971 Sam Peckinpah classic, stood out: Marsden may start out as the passive, infuriatingly polite husband of Kate Bosworth, but by the end [SPOILER ALERT] he has undergone a savage transition from milquetoast to murderer.

Marsden also mixed things up in 2011 by returning to television — where he got his start way back in the 90’s on “The Nanny” — with a cameo role in “Modern Family.” And on Jan. 12, he begins a six-episode run on “30 Rock,” playing Liz Lemon’s latest love interest. (Apparently, being a nice guy has its perks.)

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The midseason return of “30 Rock” kicks off Thursday, Jan. 12, and with another season comes another love interest for Tina Fey’s quirky onscreen persona, Liz Lemon.

Anyone else think she has more game — and probably as many losers — than Carrie Bradshaw? We’ve seen her fall for Dennis (Dean Winters of “Oz,” “Rescue Me”), the beeper-selling dude who called Liz “dummy; there was Floyd (“SNL’s” Jason Sudeikis), the “flower guy” who moves to Cleveland; Drew (played by “Mad Men’s” dapper Jon Hamm), the doctor completely oblivious of his good looks; and the pilot with the unfortunate name, Carol Burnett (played by Matt Damon). And that’s just naming a few. (An honorary mention should go to her imaginary boyfriend, Astronaut Mike Dexter.)

This season, Liz fancies a guy who hawks meat on the street. And the show has enlisted James Marsden, known for his roles on “X-Men” and “The Notebook,” to be that guy. Marsden will appear in a six-episode arc as a laid-back hot dog vendor. Show Tracker spoke to the actor on playing in the TV pond, what we can expect from his “30 Rock” stint and his playing a game that has proved troublesome for “30 Rock” stars in the past: Words With Friends.

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