A hyper-energized CG bunny voiced by Russell Brand may flit maniacally around James Marsden almost constantly in this week’s live-action/animated Easter adventure Hop, but it’s very much Marsden’s moment to shine. As Fred, a 30-year-old loser still searching for direction, the Oklahoma-born actor plays straight man to Brand’s rambunctious teenage rabbit in a PG-rated film filled with gleaming candy factories and Cute Overload-ready characters. He’s come quite a long way, and deliberately so, from his role as a disturbed husband pushed to the brink of violence in the upcoming Straw Dogs remake.

Such a drastic change of pace was necessary for mental well-being, Marsden says, but Hop also marks a few key milestones in the actor’s career: It’s his biggest leading role to date and establishes him as an actor capable of broad, slapsticky, crowd-pleasing comedy. And after struggling against typecasting early in his career — he pegs it around his X-Men days, interestingly enough — Marsden’s right where he wants to be, fast-accumulating a reputation for versatility to go with those pesky good looks.

The candid and jovial Marsden phoned Movieline to talk about cleansing the palate with Hop, battling narrow industry perceptions, the possibility of donning Cyclops’ suit once more for future X-Men films, his heartbreak over David O. Russell’s still-unfinished comedy Nailed, and how close he is to sealing the deal to play Larry in the Farrelly Brothers’ Three Stooges film. And why exactly was 27 Dresses so important to him?

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I’ve also uploaded 9 HQ photos from the show to the gallery.

GALLERY LINK:
Public Appearances > 2011 Appearances >[2011.03.31]”Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (HQ)

In the family comedy Hop, actor James Marsden plays Fred, a 30-year-old on a directionless path, who is trying to pull his life together. His family keeps telling him to grow up, but Fred knows that he is destined for something great. Then, he meets E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand), the teenage son of the Easter Bunny who also happens to be next in line for the coveted position, but who wants to give it all up in pursuit of his dream to become a drummer. The presence of E.B. brings back memories from when Fred was a little boy and saw E.B.’s dad delivering his Easter basket early one morning, and he soon realizes that his calling just might be the thing that E.B. is running from.

At the film’s press day, James Marsden talked about acting opposite a bunny that wasn’t there, developing the dynamic and chemistry with Russell Brand that was necessary to bring their performances to life, the fact that he is a bit of a perpetual child like Fred, and that the film shows the importance of following your dream and finding your passion in life, even if that’s becoming the Easter Bunny. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

Question: Was doing the live-action with the animation the toughest thing you’ve had to do so far?

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ComingSoon.net has talked with Jimmy at the press junket for “Hop”, and here is the full interview.

ComingSoon.net: So, yes, this is going to be just like talking to a rabbit.
James Marsden: Exactly. Without the British accent.

CS: I can do a British accent if that’s throwing you off.
Marsden: Actually, I think I’ve had my fill of that. (Laughs)

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James Marsden has joked that a few nights out on the town helped him prepare for his new children’s film.

The actor voices a dog called Diggs in Cats And Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore, and he explained: “I would start planning these voice sessions for early in the morning because my voice was sleepy and lower.”

“It worked better for the physicality of the dog, rolling out of bed. I made sure I had a rough night the night before, a couple of scotches, then three hours later I rolled out and did some good work!” he teased.Joking aside, the former Versace model revealed he wanted to make the family-friendly film for his nine-year-old son, Jack, and four-year-old daughter, Mary.

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Source: MovieWeb.com

James Marsden reckons Russell Brand is a “brilliant” actor.

The Enchanted star has been singing Russell’s praises having just finished work on Hop, in which the British comedian and actor plays the Easter bunny.

“He’s brilliant, that word gets tossed around casually these days, but he really is a really brilliant comedian, very sharp, very smart and what he brings to a performance that’s not even on a page… he happens to be so gifted as an actor,” James said on the promo trail for Cats And Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore.

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Move over Matt Damon, James Marsden wants to be the next spy hero.

“I’d love to. Jason Bourne, James Bond, Transporter, any of those great spy thrillers,” he revealed at the Hollywood premiere of his new movie Cats And Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore.

James confessed he wants to update some spy classics.

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The ingenious ‘Cats & Dogs’ are back on the big screen, and this time Kitty Galore is getting revenge! ET is with Christina Applegate , James Marsden and Bette Midler , who are starring in the live-action/CGI family spy adventure! “The past couple of years I’ve wanted to do things that I can, in my repertoire, show to my goddaughter and my future children,” Christina explains of why she wanted to do the film. “I have two kids, so it’s like, ‘This’ll be a fun gig.’ You go and roll out of bed and you don’t need to worry about how you look, just lending your voice. It’s a fun family movie that I can take my kids to see,” James says of the project.

Source: ETonline.com