Born on Sept. 18, 1973 in Stillwater, OK, Marsden grew up wanting to have the career and charisma of Tom Cruise, thanks to repeated viewings of “Top Gun” (1986) and “Days of Thunder” (1990). Thankfully for Marsden, he already had the clean-cut All-American good looks. His father, a meat and poultry inspector, and mother, a nutritionist, divorced when he was nine. After graduating Putnam City North High School, Marsden studied broadcast journalism at Oklahoma State University, but quit after only a year and a half. He opted instead to move out to Los Angeles and become an actor, but realized that he had no contracts. His dad, however, happened to know a casting director, who in turn knew a manager willing to consider an unknown from Oklahoma. Within two months of his arrival in 1992, he was cast in an episode of the CBS sitcom "The Nanny" (1993-2000) and was eventually called back for a second appearance. Alternately billed as Jimmy or James, he also appeared in episodes of "Saved By the Bell” (NBC, 1988-2000), "Party of Five" (Fox, 1994-2000) and "Blossom" (NBC, 1990-95).
Marsden also began appearing in TV-movies, debuting in the NBC drama "In the Line of Duty: Ambush at Waco" (1993). He was the unpleasant older brother and son to Robert Hays in the 1994 Disney Channel original "No Dessert Dad, Until You Mow the Lawn,” before playing Doc Barker, son to Ma Barker (Theresa Russell), in the 1996 HBO original, "Public Enemy #1.” Other roles included a high school valedictorian who abducts Jill Eikenberry in "Gone in a Heartbeat" (CBS, 1996), and a young man in a mental institution who brings life to a troubled young woman in "On the Edge of Innocence" (NBC, 1997). In 2000, Marsden was in a trio of different genre movies: "Gossip,” an edgy, twisting tale of how a silly rumor started by a few college students blossoms into a deadly mistake; "Sugar and Spice,” a dark comedy about cheerleaders gone bad; and perhaps his most memorable movie to date, "X-Men.”
In the highly anticipated film adaptation of the popular comic book series, he was cast as Cyclops, a crime-fighting mutant who wears a visor to protect people from the destructive red beams he shoots from his eyes. Marsden's stern, über-Boy Scout performance made him the perfect foil to Hugh Jackman's brooding Wolverine – romantic rival for the love of Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). The love triangle's chemistry worked to even greater effect in the superior sequel, "X2: X-Men United" (2003), though Marsden might have benefited from more on-screen moments, since had had become a fan favorite. His grief at suffering the supposed loss of his girlfriend, Jean Grey – who sacrifices her life to save her fellow mutant friends – was palpable to audience members and lended a real gravitas to this particular installment.
In between "X-Men" films, Marsden spent the 2001-02 season of the Fox hit dramedy "Ally McBeal," playing attorney Glenn Foy, followed by a stint as John Wilkes Booth in the Ben Stiller comedy "Zoolander" (2001). After "X2," he had a delightful turn in the effectively emotional and sentimental film, "The Notebook" (2004) despite playing what would become his stock in trade – a near thankless role as rich, dashing and handsome romantic rival for the affections of the female lead – in this case, Rachel McAdams. Though the story set up Ryan Gosling as her true love, Marsden's likeable soldier made audiences genuinely wonder which man she would choose. He then appeared in the weighty romantic drama, “Heights” (2005), playing a lawyer whose fiancée (Elizabeth Banks) has second thoughts about their pending marriage, forcing herself and others around her to make life decisions in the course of one night.
Marsden next revived Cyclops for the third installment of the series, “X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006), directed by Brett Ratner. This time, the mutants faced a peculiar choice after a cure for their mutations is found: retain their uniqueness and remain isolated from society or give up their strange powers and become human. Unfortunately for both Marsden and Cyclops fans alike, the actor was relegated to only a few scenes and was killed off not even 20 minutes into the film. Luckily, the loyal “X-Men” helmer, Bryan Singer, took Marsden with him when he was picked to direct one of the most anticipated films of the decade – “Superman Returns” (2006). Cast as, yet again, the (leading) Man of Steel’s romantic nemesis, Marsden was a perfect fit as the fiancée of Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth), who has moved on after Superman left Earth for several years. Now that Lois is about to marry – and has a son to boot – Superman is left wondering if she has truly moved on with Marsden.
In a different turn from superheroes and playing the unlucky “other man,” Marsden joined the ensemble cast of “Hairspray” (2007), the adaptation of the Broadway musical – itself an adaptation of John Waters’ 1988 film. Marsden played the titular host of “The Corny Collins Show,” a popular Baltimore teen dance show that becomes a hotbed for racial integration, thanks to the pluckiness of an overweight high school student (Nicole Blonsky).