That Guy From That Show

You may not realize it now, but it's likely that you are familiar with Jason Marsden. I say this because this man is everywhere! He got his start at a very young age with a recurring role on "General Hospital." Everything took off from there and he appeared on several popular shows in the 1990s and early 2000s including "Boy Meets World", "Full House", "Ally McBeal" and "Will & Grace." Since then, Jason has stepped behind the camera and voiced several animated characters in film, television and video games. Lucky for us, he took a break from his busy schedule to talk about growing up in the spotlight and his plans for the future. Enjoy! ...11/06

About Growing Up:

Besides an actor, was there anything else you wanted to grow up to be as a child?
I've always loved theatre and music. I romanced about being a rock star. I guess you could say, as an only child, I've always craved some sort of spotlight.

What was it like growing up in the spotlight? Do you feel like you missed out on anything because you started your career so young?
Again, I am an only child, so I had no other sibling to compare lives with. I grew up with kids who were in the same situation as me, working in the biz. I honestly enjoyed it. It was comfortable to me. It was no different than playing "pretend" in my bedroom (I didn't play "other stuff" in my bedroom til I was much older...)

I never really enjoyed school. Kids can be friggin' mean, man! I got to attend Proms and Graduations via friends outside the biz. If I had me a do-over, I would totally do it again.

About being a “vocal” guy:
Is it more difficult to perform as a voice over as opposed to physical acting? Which do you prefer?
Both are equally difficult, equally challenging, and equally as fun.

How did you get into vocal performing? Was it something that you just immediately took a liking to?
Did I mention I was an only child? I was also quite anal about things (I think I got that from my Grandmother), so when I played with my Transformers action figures, I had to make sure that the voices sounded exactly like in the cartoon to satisfy my fun.
You could say I've been a voice performer ever since. When I landed my first agent, I was immediately saturated with auditions, on-camera, commercial, sit-com, film, and voice-over. It was serendipitous.

Do you have a favorite character that you’ve portrayed vocally? Who? Why?
Max from A Goofy Movie(s) has always been a fave. Having always adored Disneyana and Walt's dream, it was an honor and friggin' explosion to be part of that. Goofy's son! How cool.
The whole process of recording the films, occasionally some theme park shows, or in-character interviews has been so much fun!

The mother of a little 4 year old girl contacted me to let me know that her daughter is a huge Max fan, and would I call her on her birthday, as Max...I did, and was overjoyed at the brightness I was bringing to this little girl's life. The mom took a photo of her daughter talking to me and e-mailed it. Every bit of what I do is validated thanks to the expression on this little cutie's face in the picture.

Not to mention, I get to work with the amazing Bill Farmer (Goofy). We became very close over the years and I'm proud to have him and his family as a part of my world (get it).

About TV:
Do you keep in close touch with any of your former costars from your TGIF days?
Still buds with Mr. Friedle. At my wedding, he was my Best Man.
I see Rider on occasion. And every couple of months I chat it up with Christine Lakin.

On “Boy Meets World”, you played a character aptly named, ‘Jason Marsden’; was that done on purpose because of a likeness between you personally and the character, or did the studio just really like your name?
Sorta a private joke. The character was written for me, initially. When the time came for Mr. Feeny to say my last name, the writers asked if they could use mine. I said, "sure."

If you could be on any show that’s on TV right now, which would it be and why?
HEROES!!!!

Duh! It's f'in AWEsome!

I’ve always wondered, what is a semi-typical day of filming television shows consist of? Did/Do you have a lot of down time in between filming?
It varies between projects. I'll give you the Step by Step example. Now this is usually the schedule for a sit-com actor who's show has been on more than four years. Five day weeks, turn to four day weeks. Sat, Sun, Mon, off. Start rehearsal Tues &Wed. Thurs, rehearse for cameras and film the most complicated scenes. Friday, late call for a quick camera run-through, dinner, then perform the entire show in front of an audience.

We'll usually do four weeks on, one week off. I was very fortunate to have landed such a gig. Everyone was amazing, we worked very modest hours, and I got paid $$$ to do it.

Have you ever felt that your height gives you an advantage over other actors in the business?
Well, sure...I'd beat Leo out to play a Hobbit. But not Elijah...

Actually, professionally speaking, my height gives me a disadvantage in this biz. I actually had a producer pull me outside of an audition to tell me that I was the most amazing actor they had read that day, but I was just too short to play opposite the lead girl. Suck, eh?

It's a stereotype that the industry sucks itself into. Sure, there was a time where I thought I'll never get to play with the big-boys, but as we all get older, we mature, and realize that our hang-ups are simply that...hang ups. "I've had many misfortunes in my life, most of which never happened" - Mark Twain.

But now, I see actors like Freddy Rodriguez (Grindhouse) who's not much taller than I, struttin' his action-hero stuff on the screen. " It's all in how the package acts, not how the package is stacked" - Jason Marsden.

And Lastly, the Here and Now:
What kinds of things do you like to do in your spare time?
My wife and I own a yoga studio, here in Burbank. Can I give a plug? Thanks...it's called Yoga Blend (info @ www.yogablend.com). So I spend spare time down there, taking class, helping out when I can.

I also love me some movie-goin'! Or just gettin' out of town for the weekend.

I read that you have a room set aside for your Batman action figures…So - why Batman? Why not Superman or Spiderman?
Cuz Sup and Spud are sissies compared to the Bat! I kid. I'm actually a big Spidey fan. And I will always love and respect the Man from Krypton. But Batman resonates with me the most. There is a darkness is me, that I've felt since I was a child. I identify with that. I sometimes wish I could rid the world of all it's wrongdoings (don't worry, I won't be donning tights and a cape). He was the hero in my life, when I didn't have a hero to look up to.

That's my "adult" answer.

My real answer is, the costume, the characters, the colors, the car...it's all just too f'ing cool!

For those who are here for a “where is he now” moment, what are you up to these days? Do you have any upcoming projects in the works?
Still in Burbank, California. Doin' my voice over thing, doin' my yoga thing, doin' my directing thing. I just filmed another short, that I'll cutting as I type this (Things you didn't know about Jason Marsden #59 - Jason has 8 arms, like an octopus!), and will be working on such voice over projects such as: "The Batman" returning as Firefly. "Garfield Gets Real" a new Garfield animated film, as Nermal. And "Dragonlance" as Tasselhoff. Coming out this fall.

What sorts of challenges have you faced in transitioning from a child actor to an adult actor? What do you think about the supposed “curse” that is said to be on many child actors who try to succeed as adults in the business?
Here's the deal. The business is a self-esteem destroying industry. It's a lot like gambling. If you're a professional gambler and you think you're gonna win big every time you come to the table...well, disappointment...no no, REALITY starts to suck.

Except this biz, not only hurts the feel-bads, but it can really chisel your ego. The "curse" happens to those who don't realize that the carpet can be pulled out from under them at any time. And when it does, they scramble, for anything that can bring them back to the spotlight.

It's rather sad. Instead of evaluating their careers with what I call a "Life Tune Up Checklist" or LTUC!, they throw blame at others, then retreat.

Luckily for me, I recognized all this about the industry early on. I knew I could be replaced. I knew I wasn't the most talented guy in the game. I knew I would have to sustain by adapting myself to what makes ME feel comfortable. That meant, a type of re-invention.

I happily removed myself from on-camera, very satisfied with the voice career. Allow myself time to grow up a little. Experience life. And when I'm ready, I'll try again. As this industry changes, the actor must also change with it.

If and/or when you have kids of your own, do you think you’ll get them into the entertainment industry as children? Why or why not?
If that is what they desire ("they", ohmigosh there's gonna be two?), I will support them wholeheartedly and without bias.

What goals do you hope to achieve by the year 2020 both personally and professionally?
Lesse, I'll be 46...probably a rugged looking STUD by then! Goals - to continue to be a loving and supportive husband, a staple in my career, and a friend to all my closest.

Other Fan Questions and Curiosities:
From Hilary in New Jersey: As I was playing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, I encountered Carth's son, Dustil, and recognized your voice! Do you play the video games you have provided voices for?
Yo, Hilary! Stop playing video games and go outside for darn sake! There was ONE game I played that I voiced and it was for the short-lived system (SEGA Dreamcast), which means that I was probably the ONLY person who played it. It was called The Floigan Brothers. I was a Floigan.

Another from Hilary in NJ: I loved that you were Torque Smackey in Invader Zim, even though the series was short-lived. What was that experience like?
Hilary, seriously...read a book(wink).
The experience was fun, and shocking. Fun, getting to work on such a dastardly funny cartoon. Shocking that Nickelodeon pulled it from the airwaves because they "just didn't get it".
Jhonen Vasquez is an amazing talent and should have been treated as such.


 del.icio.us Slashdot It!