James Marsters Says This 'Buffy' Scene Was "The Darkest Professional Day of my Life"
"I was contracted to do this. I couldn't say no. You make [the scene] real for yourself, like that's the whole point if it's going to work."
Updated Sept. 4 2024, 2:52 p.m. ET
Actors have often shared the mental and emotional toll really getting into character can take on them, and for James Marsters, he admitted it was the hit show Buffy the Vampire Slayer that sent him to therapy.
In the show, James plays Spike, one of the two vampires Buffy has a love affair with throughout the show's seven-season run.
This was easily James's most memorable role, but in an interview with the Inside of You podcast, James actually shared that the role emotionally scarred him and led him to seek therapy, specifically after a contentious move his character made in Season 6. If you're familiar with the show, you can probably already guess what scene he's talking about.
James Marsters said this 'Buffy' scene "crushed" him.
In a clip from the podcast, shared on Instagram, James tells the show's host, "Buffy crushed me."
He specifically references the Season 6 scene in which Spike assaults Buffy after sleeping with Anya — a scene that has continuously been criticized by viewers.
"There was a scene where I was paired with Buffy and she breaks up with me and then I go and I kind of force myself on her, and then she like kicks me through a wall," James said, admitting he didn't want to do it. "It's a problematic scene for a lot of people who like the show, and it's the darkest professional day of my life."
James admitted he has a very "visceral reaction" to scenes of sexual assault and will actively avoid all roles that include it -- but in the instance of Buffy, he said he didn't have a say in it.
"I was contracted to do this. I couldn't say no," James said. "You make [the scene] real for yourself, like that's the whole point if it's going to work."
