MEDIATAINMENT

Exclusive Interview...

Show Hosts: Emma McCleave, Cate McCleave, Sherriden Geerckens.

When we conducted this interview, we decided to ask questions which strayed from some of the typical ones that James is normally asked - "Did you believe in vampires before you were on the show?". The interview is therefore, not mainstream. The first part sees James discuss who he draws from as an actor, as well as the Buffy working environment. The second really ain't that Buffy centric at all.

This has been written out, for your enjoyment by Cate.

Interview with James Marsters transcript:

Part One:

EMMA:

I've read some interviews with you where you've cited Robert De Niro in Cape Fear and Malcolm McDowell in Clockwork Orange as people you have drawn from for the Spike character of the last two seasons. Where abouts do you draw from for Spike apart from that and for yourself as an actor ?

JAMES:

Ben Kingsley. Especially his performance in Gandhi - but almost everything. He seems to have a combination of deep love and violence that I find are the combination in all of my favourite actors - Tony Head being one of them. Um. I like actors who are kind... actors who can play characters that are kind by choice - not necessity. Actors who will kick your arse if you stand out of line, but if you are a good person will treat you with respect. Usually -ah, Gene Hackman is another one...

Um, Mel Gibson actually, who I think is a vastly underrated actor, in fact I l iked his Hamlet much better than Kenneth Branagh's. I though he buried Kenneth Branagh's frankly.

(Laughs) I'm gonna meet Kenneth now in some bar and he's gonna deck me with some chainsaw, you know.

EMMA:

You'll enjoy it.

JAMES:

Yeah I know. (Laughter) -that's the sick thing about it really.

EMMA:

You've been on the show now for 4 seasons and you've obviously developed hugely through that time - but the show itself has changed a great deal what with David, Alexis and Charisma leaving and then with Amber coming in, Emma coming in and Michelle how has the dynamic in the cast changed over the last 4 years?

JAMES:

I don't think its changed really... as a working environment you mean? Ah not really. Sarah sets the tone of the set pretty much. That's one of the great things about the show (for me working on it), is that Sarah; beyond being an incredibly gifted actor - who I think is also completely underrated, she is a consummate professional. Ah she, if she is having a broken heart and horrible day, if her great grandmother just died, if she just had a fight with her boyfriend, you'd never know it, unless you're a very good friend - like me, and you talk about it later. Ah she always shows up on set with her lines, completely down, to the point where she cannot say them wrong . She's always on time, she's always pleasant and she's always looking after some of the people who have less power than she does and making sure they're treated with respect as well. So that has been my experience from day one on Buffy and that has not changed at all.

It's a very female set. You know? Ah, you don't crack ah... Well the one thing that's changed is we really have to watch our jokes around Michelle Trachtenberg - that's the big change. Everyone's like looking "Is Michelle here?" And then they tell the dirty joke. Or, like, we'll do a cuss word and Michelle will be right there and well be like URGH! Especially Sarah. She is very protective of Michelle because Sarah started in the business young too. And, um, both she and Joss are very aware that Michelle does not need to grow up any faster than she needs to grow up, and that she deserves as much of a childhood as we can give her.

(Starts laughing a bit) She's gonna hate me for that by the way! She's gonna, (pretendes to be Michelle) "I'm not a child! What? childhood? Get out of here!"

Michelle rocks but she doesn't need to hear the dirty words right now she doesn't want to hear those words.

CONTINUES...