James Paul Marsden (born September 18, 1973) is an American actor, singer and former Versace model. Marsden began his acting career guest-starring in multiple television shows such as Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Touched by an Angel and Party of Five. He would then gain prominence with his portrayal of Scott Summers/Cyclops in the X-Men film series, starred in 2006's Superman Returns which earned him a Saturn Award nomination, and the deranged hitman in the 1997 tv movie Bella Mafia.
Following his breakthrough in comic book films, Marsden went on to star in various genre films including 2007's Hairspray which was a critical and commercial success and won many awards for its ensemble cast. As Corny Collins, he sang two songs for the film's soundtrack which has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. He would continue his success and star in family friendly films such as Enchanted, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore and Hop.

Marsden later starred in a range of independent films such as Small Apartments, Bachelorette, and Robot & Frank. He also returned to television guest-starring in Modern Family and playing Liz Lemon's love interest, Criss Chros in 30 Rock in a supporting role. Marsden then portrayed President John F. Kennedy in Lee Daniels' The Butler, and had a supporting role as an antagonist in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.

Biography

Marsden married actress Mary Elizabeth "Lisa" Linde, daughter of country music songwriter Dennis Linde, on July 22, 2000. The couple have two children: son Jack Holden who was born on February 1, 2001 and daughter Mary James who was born on August 10, 2005. Linde filed for divorce on September 23, 2011. Marsden also has a son, William Luca Costa-Marsden, born on December 14, 2012, with former girlfriend Rose Costa.

In April 2010, Marsden was added to the Putnam City Schools Wall of Fame by the Putnam City Public Schools Foundation.

Best films