James Marsters

James Wesley Marsters (born August 20, 1962) is an American actor and musician, better known for his portrayal of Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. He plays Tarkoff in Season Two of Witches of East End.

Early Life
Marsters was born in Greenville, California, the son of a United Methodist minister and social worker. He grew up with his brother, Paul, and sister, Susan, in Modesto, California. Dreaming about becoming an actor since he played Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh in fourth grade, Marsters joined the theater group at Grace M. Davis High School and acted in many plays, including musicals. After graduation in 1980, Marsters studied at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, California. In 1982 he moved to New York City to attend the Juilliard School, but left the program after two years.

Career
Marsters first came to the attention of the general public playing the popular character Spike, a platinum-blond yobbish English vampire in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel, from 1997 to 2004. Since then, he has gone on to play other science fiction roles, such as the alien supervillain Brainiac on the Superman-inspired series Smallville, the omnisexual time traveller Captain John Hart in British science-fiction show Torchwood, and terrorist Barnabas Greeley in Syfy's Caprica. Marsters appeared in a supporting role in the 2007 movie P.S. I Love You, and portrayed the antagonist character Lord Piccolo in Dragon Ball Evolution. He appeared as a recurring character in the first season of the revival of Hawaii Five-0. Marsters is the lead singer of Ghost of the Robot, and has released multiple solo albums.

Trivia

 * He is the third Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast member to appear in the series, after Tom Lenk and Bianca Lawson.