James Marsden: He Puts the X in Sexy

Among the famous faces in the X-Men franchise--Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen. Anna Paquin--there is one that has yet to reveal its full potential. Now that James Marsden has more to bite on in the sequel, will his days of anonymity be far behind?

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MOST ACTORS JUST THROW ON A PAIR OF SHADES TO DISAPPEAR INTO THE CROWD. But James Marsden has to keep his sunglasses off if he wants to go unnoticed. After his turn as Cyclops in X-Men, where he wore a pair of wraparound shades and a sexy leather uniform, Marsden's face became more recognizable with the glasses than without.

"It's funny," he says with a laugh. "Whenever people see me with glasses on, they sort of do a double-take and then they nod their heads. So now I just leave them in the car and hope for the best."

The best is certainly happening to 29-year-old Marsden. The Oklahoma native loves making the X-Men movies ("It was soooo cool to be part of this big cast, with those bizarre costumes, the amazing special effects") and in the sequel his role is bigger and better. He's also starring in the indie road movie Interstate 60 opposite Gary Oldman and he just finished shooting The Notebook for director Nick Cassavetes.

Sipping his third cup of coffee (he says it's his one addiction) at a cafe along Sunset Blvd., Marsden seems relaxed and comfortable. He's dressed down in a T-shirt, cords and sneakers, and he looks amused as he takes in all the action along the Strip.

"Have women always been wild for your good looks?" I ask. May as well get right to the point.

He blushes. "I can't say I haven't been told that I'm good looking, but I'm not really a player. I had one girlfriend all through high school, and I've been with Lisa for 7 years."

Marsden is talking about his equally stunning wife, actress Lisa Linde (a "Days of Our Lives" alumna), whom he married three years ago and has since had a baby with.

Turns out looks aren't what pulled Marsden into acting--it was a chance meeting with a fellow actor. On a trip to Hawaii, Marsden befriended Kirk Cameron's sisters, which led to an introduction to the "Growing Pains" star. After the vacation, Marsden wanted to give acting a try. It's difficult for me to picture how Kirk Cameron could inspire anyone to do anything.

"Laugh all you want," Marsden says, and trust me, I do. "But Kirk made me realize that acting was something I might be good at. I went back to my high school and started doing some plays, and I liked it."

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