Poor James. He was too charming, too engaging, too fascinating. The audience wanted more of him and he ended up becoming the most interesting part of the show with the most emotional depth. I feel sad that it was so hard on him, but I hope knows how much his work ended up meaning to a lot of us.
Him and Sarah had some amazing chemistry. I was always team Spike. David isnt a bad actor, and I don't think anyone else could have been Angel, but I was good when he got his own show. Spike was a better fit for Buffy.
nobody should be forced to do things they don't want for their jobs. not on that level. he didn't sell them his soul, they didn't own him. I so hope contracts are better these days. Things like intimacy coordinators really help.
Where is and hear some good news here at the most number one requested actor on cameo, that's right when somebody want an actor they request him do a cameo and a reporter told him this is going to live press conference he said I had no idea.
I remember him saying one of his biggest regrets was the attempted rape scene with SMG. They didn't talk about it beforehand and it traumatized them both.
THAT was when Spike realized that without the soul and the conscience that entails, he COULD not trust himself to NOT go too far at all.HAD to get his back.
I read somewhere that SMG decided to leave the show and that’s why there were only seven seasons. If that’s true, I wonder if part of her reason was what the show did to Buffy in Season 6.
@warmcozy Nah, it's pretty well established at this point that Joss Whedon was a toxic asshole who treated the cast like slaves and abused some of them. I know James has also talked about it. At the time it ended, I remember him saying that SMG had the right to not want to do Buffy anymore because she did it for 7 years.
Loved how he was basically the “billy idol” of the vampire world. Classic character, I love how they kept him in and didn’t kill his character off early on, cause they easily could have.
They wanted to kill him off in season 2 him and Dru were only supposed to be around for half of season 2. Spike went over so well with fans though that they kept him longer. Joss was pissed off about this and improperly vented to James about this.
In the scene he's referring to, you can tell he was genuinely horrified when the camera panned into his face after the attempt, and Joss of course loved it for the camera.
Far too many talented filmmakers, writers, etc., have turned out to be bullies or predators. It’s…discouraging. I don’t know if I could watch The Pianist again, and not just because of the disturbing content.
Spike’s attempted r4p3 on Buffy is still one of the most uncomfortable scenes on a TV show I’ve ever watched. Rewatched it recently and it’s still tough to see.
@@T_Cup I'm sorry your joke was lost on people more impressed with your vocabulary than your reference game. But I got it! It was not lost on all of us!
No, he didn't. He did the best he could with the cards that were given to him. To be a director/producer/writer having to deal with all kinds of people with different professions, expectations, cultures and experiences is a huge challenge.
That's why Christina Carpenter quit in season 2 of angel, everybody dismissed it until he went in the film Justice League and the black actor Ray Fisher started making the rounds on the talk show circuit about his behavior
@@MirellaDerks Nah, he was abusive. People outside of Buffy/Angel that worked with him even said that. Hes not a good person nor was he “dealing the cards he was dealt with”
@MirellaDerks No one said the job isn't difficult, but not everyone in his position pushes their employees up against a wall and threatens them - from James's own lips: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hynZ2j9M9IE.html
Yes I can understand his uncomfortable feelings due to the harsh things that would sometimes be required. The one episode that he did not want to do because it was so brutal was the almost rape of the character of Buffy. I have heard it said that he has in whatever he does in his contract that he will not do those violent kind of scenes to a woman. That to me speaks to his personal integrity and honor as a man. He is a good actor or should I say great actor. I hope he gets a role on an ongoing drama. I would love a reboot of Buffy with all the original cast members in different roles. Imagine if Sarah Michelle Gellar was playing the role of Joyce to the new woman who was playing The Buffy character. And we could have Christine Sutherland playing Joyce's mother and Buffy's grandmother. Just a thought I have. I thank you for your time and I wish you all the best. With respect always, Brant Heavner
Upon further what I would have liked in that episode was for a Spike to be takin over by the spirit of someone who wants vengeance on both Spike and Buffy. So it would be a situation where Spike was not in control of his body. Also to differentiate between Spike and the evil spirit taking over his body, he would not have an English accent because the spirit wanting vengeance on both of them was American. Thus it would be better for the character of not to have gone down that ugly road 🛣️ . Plus the experience of nearly harming Buffy would be a motivating factor in the desire to have his soul returned to him. I remember watching on my TV when the show migrated to the UPN Network in America which no longer exists. With respect to everyone on the channel.
I am a huge fan of BTVS especially James Marsters character. 🥰 I watched it faithfully. Watched with my children and NOW with my grandchildren. I'm positive I'll be around to finish the series with my great grandchildren when the time comes and I'll still have heart eyes for Spike.😍❤
It saddens me to know that some of the scripts were so traumatizing. We got a great show with wonderful performances and interesting story development, but we've learned over the years some of the costs involved. Just makes me that much more grateful to the cast for all they gave 🤗
It was an incredibly uncomfortable scene to watch so my heart goes out to him, I can't imagine how hard it must have been to film with god knows how many takes it took. I feel like they could still have demonstrated spikes catalyst needed for him to decide to get a soul without resorting to SA, which I don't personally think fitted where his character arc was in S6 anyway.
Yup, agree Spike was the kind of character who would have went and get a soul WITHOUT hurting Buffy even He would get it just because it was the missing thing that would make her let herself love him with no shame tbh
@@enasbassiony7676 I completely agree, at that point his realisation that she could never love him without a soul would have been enough for him to decide he needed to get one, really no need to resort to SA. I also think spike had respect for women in his own weird twisted vampirey 'still-going-to-kill-you-though' way, even at his worst I can't imagine SA would be in his repertoire so it feels extra out of character. But then again I guess no one really knows what people are capable of, demons especially.
I haven’t watched Buffy in close to 20 yrs but I feel like a binge is on my future soon . Was really a great show, thank you for what you gave to us all.
I love how he played Spike. Such a great actor! I watched Buffy after the series already ended, so I kind of knew the story already.. At first I was too attached to the Angel-Buffy love story and thought Spike to be a poor substitute and a forced one. The way he played the character makes you fall in love with Spike too. I never thought they would have such a complex romance into the show. And such steamy hot scenes! Just mindblowing! Goodbye Angel! You can stay in LA for as long as you’d like.
My brother and I got to meet James Marsters at Wizard World and had a full conversation with him about video games and VR. Him and his agent were so nice and fun to talk with. I’ve been rewatching Buffy and I hate the emotional damage he had to take playing that role, but I love him as Spike and his genuineness as a person, so I’m conflicted with the dynamic of it. Joss Whedon is such a misogynistic asshole, but I also can’t help but love his creations as a whole.
Spike! My boo! I love you James I named my cat Spike because he makes this face showing his fangs like the character did on a random thank you for giving life to spike the greatest hero/villain ever ✌️🙏🫶🏿
I loved Spike so much. And the irony of a vampire being the hero in the last episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is so delightful and made for a perfect redemption arc. Wish we had gotten a Spike Angel feature film, like Serenity forFirefly
You need to be proud of Spike's legacy. I think you are the fan's favorite character. I know that I loved Spike! In the end , Spike was very respected. He was fully redeemed. Be proud man! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Poor James, he was amazing at Spike & the huge range he played. From flash backs to his hunan life, the blody massacres, slayer killer, chip in his head, becoming good, protecting the team while they hated him, becoming & being part of the scooby gang, the vampire in love with buffy, the rape, getting his soul back, the insanity, the whole Spike & Angel & Angel, Spike & Buffy, being the saviour. He did it all.
I'm soooooo glad you stayed ( I know how the creator really didn't want this character) and told you frequently. You ARE one of the most Beloved Crew 😊. Guess the Guantlet PROVES that. Thankyou for ALL us James ❤. Thanks Joss for keeping him. Hope he gets war pay 🙏 😅
Who knew from the 1st season of Buffy, this legend would be in the last episode of Angel fighting the Apocalypse. Blows my mind the more I think about it.
The scenes he is referring to were important and they helped a lot of people. I'm sorry if they negatively impacted him, but I'm grateful he played the role and I'm grateful to the writers for writing it. Grateful to Joss, Marti, David, and more. This helped women. In more ways than I can possibly say. Everyone should stop trying to erase or change it. It shined a light on a difficult topic. It helped women to be believed. It helped boyfriends and exes to realize that a woman isn't someone's property and consent isn't permanent, but rather something that always has to be requested, not taken.
he's not lying. the acting chops you have to have when you get the script and go "oh great my character loses their whole memory" or "spike and buffy have a love spell" or "angels a fucking puppet"
Yep. ‘Seeing Red’. I don’t know how you can truly embody a character and play it so well without having to take that energy into yourself and into your own field. I can see how that was traumatizing, and that scene in particular. Adding the constant flux of Spike being a vampire version of Wiley Coyote half the time and obsessive attachment disorder with incessant rejection the rest, he had to run all ends of the spectrum. But, that character and James changed so many peoples lives. So, the pain was worth something meaningful.
I met him once when I was younger, he was so sweet. I had a photo op with him, and he let me stake him!! It's sosad to hear he struggled with some scenes in buffy, he's always been my favourite character!! 🥺🥺
If you know you know. Awful scene at end of s6 and it could have been vastly improved by spike trying to bite or turn her instead - the dialogue could have stayed pretty much the same and he still would have wrestled with the oh god why did I do that. Vampirism has often in the show been conflated with death/ sex/ violence so I think it would have been better played as an allegory to SA rather than a straight up graphic scene.
Wow! Wow n Wow! He always held my attention but he is such a great actor u never realized what he went thru 2 bring that character 2 the screen! Also really blown away, I truly thought he was English!!!! What a great actor!
☂️☂️☂️Looking forward to each week this show was on saved my life in high school. I had a very difficult home and school environment but this one hour a week I could escape. Things got much better when I was 18 and could leave. However, BTVS I will always credit with saving my life. ❤❤❤ She truly was the “Class Protector.” ☂️☂️🧛♂️❤❤❤❤
THIS is how I view entertainment today - my life is very good and blessed but not without some serious hardships and massiveanxiety, I use entertainment as therapy & escape and I'm sad that so much of it is being taken over to push messages rather than give us real shows to getlost in
Dang this guy had me believing he was British! I loooved his character Spike. And he's not the only one on Buffy who has complained about behind the scenes. Sarah Michelle and Charisma have spoken out. Joss Whedon was hell on everybody.
Entirely understandable. Spike did some things that wouls make any actor uncomfortable, and having had "difficult" directors before, i can only imagine what is was like knowing he had those scenes coming up AND next to no support (if any at all) from the one person on set who should've given it... Absolute trooper, as were they all.
Spike took the show to the next level. JM is just such a great actor he can get me to fall more in love than with ANY other TV character despite my logic brain refusing to stop complaining that vampires CANNOT be dead and undead at the same time! 😂
That scene (non con season 6) shocked me to the core as a young girl who watched Buffy grow up alongside me starting when I was a middle schooler. I can see how it would traumatize both Sarah M G and James M
He turned a bad guy into a loved character! Even though the writers, show runners,and creator of it all had the intention of using him as the weekly filler villain! (Love Spike but still relate too Angel more) Both did a incredible job because even Angel wasn’t suppose to return!😂
It was hard core in the final seasons, the scenes between him and buffy were rugged, I hated him and buffy together but now I kind of understand that he was her trauma rebound after angel being another vampire and her life so hard😢
Made a brilliant villain and then became the one character that broke my heart and made me laugh the most, did a amazing job, when he returned in angel i leaped of the sofa crying lol, its so sad hearing that he struggled with what he was being asked to do, i get it, you would have to go to a dark place to be believable on screen and act it out
I really loved his character. In the end he became a hero but the process to get there was interesting. I could not hate his character since there was always something soft about the actor that came across the screen.
I knew Spike would get a redemption arc the SECOND he told Dru he'd get her a new bird. And that was in the second episode he was in. Solidified when he decided to help Buffy save the world from Angelus. 'Man, he's gonna kill her.'
No mention of Clara. It's a longshot but she's trapped, waiting in her last second of life, maybe she finally cheated death. She was is the impossible girl who travelled through the Doctor's time stream. I can see similarities between her and Ruby. Unsure what her motive would be though.
@@lauraelliot5716 Some of the best writing in entertainment in my humble opinion (very good writing on Angel series too) - but his character name was William the🩸y and his reputation was as one of the worst vamps in his history so I wouldn't think it's a big leap for a writer/story to get close to that scene. But I so agree that they all did such a fabulous job portraying their characters! I'm still watching the show every day on Fusechannel
The reason would probably be they needed a reason for him to want his soul back, I'm not sure what but it could of been done in a different way, it didn't seem like spike seeming as he had held himself back for a long time whilst he was falling for her and him being a rapist Kind of vampire was never mentioned I believe, he just killed
It must have been a very hard challenge as an actor and as a human. As the audience we don’t often see the impact that playing a character that does morally terrible things does to the psyche of the person playing them. I honestly think having a therapist there for post-filming debriefs could help actors separate themselves from the actions of their characters
