James Marsters

Genre TV villains from Smallville to Runaways, Dresden Files audiobooks, a rock band, and a return to Spike on audio.

After the show

After Angel ended in 2004, Marsters became a regular presence in genre television. He played Brainiac (Milton Fine) on Smallville (2005 to 2010), the time agent Captain John Hart on Torchwood (2008), Barnabas Greeley on Caprica (2010) and the recurring villain Victor Hesse on Hawaii Five-0 (2010 to 2020), with guest spots on Supernatural and Warehouse 13. On film he played Piccolo in Dragonball Evolution and Buzz Aldrin in the docudrama Moonshot (both 2009).

From 2017 to 2019 he was a series regular as Victor Stein on Hulu’s Marvel series Runaways. His voice work includes Lex Luthor in Superman: Doomsday (2007) and Zamasu in the English dub of Dragon Ball Super.

Away from the camera, he narrates Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files audiobooks, wrote the graphic novel Spike: Into the Light (2014), and sings and plays guitar with the Los Angeles rock band Ghost of the Robot. His solo album Like a Waterfall came out in 2007.

On February 12, 2021, after Charisma Carpenter’s statement about Joss Whedon, Marsters posted on Twitter: “While I will always be honoured to have played the character of Spike, the Buffy set was not without challenges.” He went on to say he did not support abuse of any kind, was heartbroken to learn of some cast members’ experiences, and sent his love and support to all involved. On Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast in 2020, Marsters had described Whedon backing him against a wall and telling him, “I don’t care how popular you are, kid, you’re dead. You hear me? Dead. Dead!”

Lately

In 2023 Ghost of the Robot released the album Tin Man. In October 2023 Marsters led Slayers: A Buffyverse Story, an Audible original set ten years after the Buffy finale with Spike working undercover in Los Angeles. Amber Benson and Christopher Golden wrote and directed it. In February 2024 Golden said Disney would not allow Audible to make further seasons.

He voices a role in Isla Monstro, an adult animated sci-fi comedy directed by Steven Shea that arrived on video on demand in summer 2026.

Off screen

Marsters is a regular guest on the fan convention circuit, including Supanova’s Gold Coast and Melbourne events in April 2026.