James Marsden Quotes

It's hard enough to just be a good actor. When you're on set, there's everything going against you. There are walkie talkies going off, the camera is creaking and moving, there are boom mics, and you have to hit your mark and make sure you don't shadow the other person's face. It's a really technical process.

- James Marsden

I have always been good at auditioning, but maybe because I had a good trick at the beginning. I would pretend that my agent gave me the wrong scene or lines. They would take pity on me and hand me the right scene. I would act like I had never seen this before - and then do pretty well considering I had already rehearsed it.

- James Marsden

Women pay attention to how men drive because it's a good indicator of what kind of character you have. They want someone who's going to be intelligent and cautious and assertive and confident when you need to be, but not overly aggressive and reckless, and also not timid and overly paranoid.

- James Marsden

James Dean has never been one of my guys. I don't want to be him. I will take boring anytime. I love boring! Are you kidding me? Matt Damon has been one of my favorites forever. He always elevates every bit of material, and then you don't hear a thing about him.

- James Marsden

As an actor, you always think your last job is your last job, and you're always doubting yourself and worried that people will see you're a fraud.

- James Marsden

I prefer face-to-face conversation as opposed to texting. You need to go out of your way to spend good time with one another; you need to have a date night. Whether you have kids or a career or whatever, for a relationship to thrive, it's about making time for each other.

- James Marsden

You can find all types of men anywhere, but a smart man will always make you feel important and understood. And a woman can always tell when a man does it genuinely and effortlessly.

- James Marsden

When I moved to L.A., I had somebody go, 'Alright. Fix your hair. Wear this.' Like, changed my look a little bit. I kind of came into myself a little better when I moved to L.A.

- James Marsden

Over the years, I've learned that you can have fun with the fabrics and other elements, but if it's not tailored right, you'll blow it.

- James Marsden

I would not think twice about being part of any incarnation of the 'X-Men' films.

- James Marsden

I am constantly hustling and finding new things. You try to manage so you don't look back and see huge gaps of time that you missed with your family.

- James Marsden

Every time I read a script, I see the movie in my head, and I try to see the best movie in my head because everybody interprets the movie differently.

- James Marsden

I never felt that I was a leading-man type in high school. I was always the goofy guy who was getting attention from girls who could make them laugh by doing impersonations of, like, 'Saturday Night Live' sketches... I was more James Stewart than James Bond.

- James Marsden

As an actor, you can go in, and you give your best performance, but if you hand that performance to ten different directors and ten different editors, you get ten different movies.

- James Marsden

When you're making a film, it's a very technical process. You do things over and over again, and you have to hit your marks and your light and all that stuff.

- James Marsden

No one forgets their first love. You're experiencing all those endorphins and all that dopamine and that obsession with one another for the very first time in your life, so it makes it that much more cute.

- James Marsden

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.

- James Marsden

I was with my wife for five years before we got married. At some point, she was ready to take the next step, and I would say, 'I'm committed to you now; nothing's going to change.'

- James Marsden

I have always weirdly seen myself as more of a character actor. I have never been suave. I could never see myself playing James Bond. I suppose I could fake it, but I am certainly not James Bond in real life.

- James Marsden

One of the big struggles for an actor is sometimes you have to take work that you don't necessarily want to do so you can pay rent.

- James Marsden

When you have kids and get older, it goes beyond flowers and chocolate. It's about waking up with a baby, letting her sleep in, and making a coffee for her when she wakes up. To me, being romantic is putting someone else first and thinking about what makes them happy.

- James Marsden

I didn't want to go get a job or get a degree in business or marketing, or whatever all my friends were getting degrees in.

- James Marsden

I am starting to get into this whole idea of caring about what I wear. There was a time in my life when I could not care less about fashion.

- James Marsden

When I was younger - up until I was 19 years old and in college - I was surrounded with people in high school who felt like they knew what they wanted to do with their lives, and that was intimidating to me because I didn't.

- James Marsden

The more ridiculous the character is, the more sincerity you have to bring to it.

- James Marsden

If expectations are low, you can only impress people. But if expectations are there for you to be the leading guy, and you've been paid X amount of money, you're on a tightrope, and all of a sudden, you're looking down.

- James Marsden

It's about balance. Do a movie that's good for your career, then do a one that gets good box office.

- James Marsden

I didn't know what my passion was until I discovered the dramatic arts in junior high and high school and I realized, 'Oh, I like this. This is something I feel like I'm good at.' But, the idea of moving to Hollywood and becoming an actor was really unrealistic.

- James Marsden

In Oklahoma, the girls like the big football players. Girls were more interested in those guys, and I was, like, kind of a drama kid.

- James Marsden

I decided I should go after the roles I like, that I am inspired by, and then, if I am having a good time, chances are that people will like watching you.

- James Marsden

A lot of guys I know are into this whole scarf trend. Not my thing. I prefer to update and personalize my style with the smaller things, like a pocket square or, again, with the shoes. All in the details.

- James Marsden

If you have fun and keep a good attitude, people want to work with you.

- James Marsden

I was with my wife for five years before we got married, so we've been together since I was 22.

- James Marsden

It would be cool to be invisible, but I'm afraid of what people would say about me if they didn't know I was there. Some things are better left unknown.

- James Marsden

Everyone can have their heart broken. Even if you know the relationship isn't working, it's still sad. Even in a bad relationship, they're part of your life for a long time, and saying goodbye to that can be difficult.

- James Marsden

Boy, if Garth Ennis had created a religion, I would sure like to be a part of that. It just makes sense, the way he tackles things in it. It's really heavy stuff and it's incredibly well written.

- James Marsden

I've said this before, but I've always felt more comfortable playing the guy who thinks he's the hot shot or thinks he's the greatest and is so far from it, you know? The misguided character. That's always more interesting to me - especially with a comedy. I've always felt inside more like a character actor.

- James Marsden

If you're an attractive guy, everyone thinks you're successful just because of the way you look. I hate that.

- James Marsden

'The Notebook' made me cry! It got me.

- James Marsden

I've done some films that, on paper, were really interesting and special. And for some reason, when they got on screen, it just didn't work. Well, I didn't get to watch the film before I decided to do it.

- James Marsden

Early in your career, you feel like there is a formula, a path you have to take. You have to do this movie because this person directed it and you have to be associated with these people. In some ways, I have thrown that out.

- James Marsden

To me, the more bizarre the character, the more I'm attracted to it.

- James Marsden

If you're lucky enough to pick what you do, that's the greatest career you can have. Ultimately, that's my goal: to have choices.

- James Marsden