Buffy's James Marsters now as he opens up on 'darkest day' on set (2025)

James Marsters was introduced to audiences in Buffy The Vampire Slayer as the punk-rock vampire Spike and he went on to become one of the most popular characters in the series

James Marsters, the American actor and musician famed for his role as Spike in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, has had a varied career since his vampire days. The cult classic Buffy The Vampire Slayer is set to land on ITV's streaming service ITVX on April 3, with all episodes ready to stream.

Its supernatural spin-off Angel, starring David Boreanaz, will premiere from May 1 on the same platform.

Marsters joined the Buffy cast in its second season as punk-rock vampire Spike, quickly becoming one of the most beloved characters after evolving from villain to protagonist. His acting journey began professionally in Chicago in the late 1980s, where he took on minor roles in theatre and television.

His breakout role that earned him critical praise was as Spike in the teen supernatural series Buffy The Vampire Slayer. He would have been around 35 years old when he starred alongside Sarah Michelle-Gellar, who played Buffy Summers, in the popular series.

His character was initially pegged for a fleeting appearance, but Spike's smash-hit status among viewers ensured he stayed up until the show's finale. Not only that, but fans went wild seeing him as a lead in Angel's spin-off series, with David Boreanaz making a comeback as the leading lad.

Marsters rocked the mic solo and with bands across venues for ages, and just last year, Ghost of the Robot dropped their album Tin Man. The tracklist includes Don't Worry Son, penned by Marsters amidst his Buffy days.

Chatting with Eulalie magazine, the now 62 year old star reflected: "I was really proud of our first album I produced. I am a demon when I produce because I used to produce theater, and I found that if you get really talented people in the same room and then deny them time and money, their creativity sparks."

On the movie front, he lent his voice to Reggie in 2024's Isla Monstro and on TV he plays Larry on Curses! and Miller Dalton on Casa Grande.

Marsters also opened up on Inside of You podcast in 2024 about a particularly dark Buffy episode.

"Buffy sent me into therapy, actually. Buffy crushed me," he shared with Michael Rosenbaum. "There was a scene where I was paired with Buffy, she breaks up with me, and I go and I kind of force myself on her, and she kicks me through a wall.

"It's a problematic scene for a lot of people who like the show. And it's the darkest professional day of my life."

Earlier this year, he finally addressed the news about the Buffy reboot in an Instagram video, stating: "So first of all I think I'm just going to get the elephant in the room out of the way, which is that it's not a good thing for me to talk about the Buffy reboot."

I'm sorry if you were coming here hoping for some news. But in the interest of having the project be the best it can be, it's best that I keep my mouth shut right now, so I'm going to do that."

He didn't confirm his involvement but expressed his enthusiasm, saying: "I think I'm like everybody, I'm very excited that we're going to learn more about the journey of Buffy Summers and how she saves the world because I think the world needs it."

Buffy the Vampire Slayer will be available on ITVX from April 3.