Born on 18 September 1973, James
Marsden grew up with a sister and two brothers.
He dropped out of Oklahoma State University to move
to Los Angeles and pursue his interest in acting.
He then worked as a Versace model and had a brief
role as Griffin on TV series Party of Five as well
as brief roles on other TV series.
Marsden got his first big break with his leading
role on TV series Second Noah. Though the show didn't
last long, he received enough exposure to win the
hearts of teenage girls. He even got more exposure
when he was cast alongside Katie Holmes in Disturbing
Behavior (1998).
Marsden became one of the hottest young stars after
taking the role of Cyclops in X-Men, one of the
most highly anticipated films of 2000, alongside
Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Anna Paquin, and
Famke Janssen.
Marsden's rising popularity was reflected in his
busy schedule the next year. Among his projects
was Sugar and Spice (2001),
a black comedy that cast him opposite Mena Suvari.
In 2003, Marsden once again appeared as Cyclops
in the big-budget X-Men sequel, X2: X-Men United.
