Maybe it should be mentioned in the headline that James Marsters plays Milton Fine on Smallville, as some of us may not know. I don't watch the show, and only knew of James' character as Brainiac, so at first I thought maybe M.F. was some obscure Whedonverse character I'd forgotten about. :)

fortunateizzi | July 04, 05:17 CET

I agree, it also seemed that it was really votes for JM rather than for MF, at least going by the comments on the thread and Amy's comment in her entry.

helcat | July 04, 05:25 CET

Yeah I was totally lost on that one, even though I did watch Smallville.

The Ninja Report | July 04, 06:32 CET

How is Boston Legal like a car wreck? It's not even a guilty pleasure! It's a superb show!

aapac | July 04, 06:58 CET

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the vote was for James to come back on another (any) show, not for the character he plays on 'Smallville' to come back.

But semantics...

Haunt | July 04, 07:09 CET

I've amended the subject line, one for length (there's a limit on how many characters can be used for a RSS feed - no I don't know how many it's 7:20am here) and two to reflect that the award for James and not his character on Smallville.

Simon | July 04, 10:21 CET

Thanks, Simon. I was thinking Milton Fine was that town in England gossi had to explain to me a few months back, that was all pre-planned and boring and so on. (I think that one was actually Milton Keynes, but, still, confusing.) :-)

billz | July 04, 11:21 CET

Yay James.

I just really hope we do get to see him on something this year.

The only other thing that I voted for that won was that incredibly stupid twin thing on Seventh Heaven. I just happened to catch the last few minutes while waiting for the next show and even I could tell it was stupid.

Xane | July 04, 11:27 CET

There are massive spoilers in the article for at least one show if you're not bang up to date (eg a UK viewer).

mjwilson | July 04, 15:24 CET

Hey, I finally managed to get a membership to this fantastic site but living in the UK, without a cable or satellite subscription (I know - how quaint of me!) I have no idea what any of these programmes are anyway :-)

twinkle | July 04, 16:03 CET

I really hope that the network Powers That Be hear of this and take notice. James is so talented - we need him back in a quality production!

showgirl | July 04, 19:12 CET

I think that this probably could use a spoiler warning. It's got some major ones for LOST in there, for sure.

And...

I agree 100% about James. I do wonder if he'll be on SMALLVILLE next year.

spikeylover | July 04, 19:38 CET

Non US Posters should be aware that if a link is about TV awards then odds on it will have details about a show that has aired in the States last season. But I've qualified the subject line.

Simon | July 04, 19:53 CET

Hmmm,critics love him,the fans go nuts whenever there is a poll you can vote for James Marsters in. Why is this man NOT on my tv screen in his own series??!!

Berry | July 04, 23:16 CET

YES! Berry, you've nailed it!

showgirl | July 04, 23:28 CET

Maybe he needs a new agent or has he got one?

Simon | July 05, 02:06 CET

According to the May Q&A on his official web site, he has an agent, a manager, and a publicist.: “An agent gets you the auditions and opportunities.  A manager evaluates the opportunities and helps oversee the total career.  A publicist handles your image in all forms of the public eye.  Yes, I do have all of these people in my professional life.”

showgirl | July 05, 02:48 CET

As Simon says, maybe he needs a new agent.

annieb | July 05, 07:57 CET

Why is this man NOT on my tv screen in his own series??

As I recall, he has put certain restrictions on where he will live because of family responsibilities and that has cut into some of his opportunities. Then he has the whole question hanging out there of can he carry a series as an American with brown hair...or at least as a character other than Spike.

Although most of us consider the answer to that one a no-brainer, in my limited experience I have met very few producers with a huge amount of imagination. That is why it has been good IMHO that he has been doing different kinds of roles to establish who he is/can be when he is not Spike. I just wish...oh never mind. No need to go there. ;-)

newcj | July 05, 15:53 CET

newcj I think the casting peeps just need to see him as Spike and then as William. If a fan, ie me, thought it was a different actor playing William at first I think that pretty much says it all really.

He has great range. Get him back on my telly, pronto! :0)

lynnie | July 05, 16:42 CET

I would tend to agree with newcj. From everything I've read on this board and other news sources (interviews, etc.) about the way it's done in Hollywood, it is very easy to get stereotyped into a certain role. Nathan Fillion has said time and again that he could never get a lead role till Joss cast him as Mal, and he could never get a villain role till Joss cast him as Caleb; you have to have someone willing to take a chance on you that first time before you get considered for a category, like "lead role." I'm guessing that James has the "sci-fi" label right now, and wants to wait till he can find something different that fits with his family's needs as well.

billz | July 05, 21:41 CET

I'd like to see David Boreanaz on a show next season. Luckily for me, so do execs.

cityof | July 06, 11:15 CET

TV execs suffer from a widespread virus called No Imagination Syndrome. Until a cure is found, typecasting and cancellation of brilliant shows will keep happening. *sigh*

GloryB | July 06, 14:35 CET

"I'd like to see David Boreanaz on a show next season. Luckily for me, so do execs."

I think DB’s situation vs. JM’s illustrates what we have been talking about rather well. DB is easily typecast as the tall dark handsome American hero. For 5 years he played the leading role in a TV series as a version of the most typical male hero icon, the strong, silent man with a violent past who is trying to do good while trying to reconcile what he has done with the better version of himself he wants to be. As a result he moved pretty easily into another version of the exact same role except in a genre more accepted as mainstream. Good move for him, easy call for the producers.

JM, on the other hand, is a character actor who is pretty enough to confuse casting people. I would say the same of AD as well. Both are best known for playing English characters, but are not English. (IMO AD has the added problem that his everyday American accent is rather strange. I found it a relief to hear him speak with a much more mainstream American accent on the little I saw of HIMYM.)

The best character actors are tougher to cast because they are not always the most obvious choice until they have done a hundred memorable smaller roles and get a reputation among decision makers for being the guy who can bring a spark to the production. Then the actor is suddenly an over-night success because he is doing roles that steal the show, making mainstream audiences finally notice him.

That is one of the many reasons I have never understood the rivalry between some of the fans of the two actors. They are totally different types. That is one reason why they were cast opposite each other and why the characters worked so well against each other. It is highly unlikely that they will ever be up for the same role, but they are easily cast as antagonists or partners. In BtVS and Ats they got to be both. …which is one of the reasons I love that Whedon guy.

newcj | July 06, 18:01 CET

It's just his 2nd tv character. The lead role has got to be a protagonist, so it's natural you'd see similarities. His other movies show he's not being typecast. To date he's played a killer, a conceited plastic surgeon, an adulterer, and a dorky stock broker. None of those are typecasted roles.

"The best character actors are tougher to cast because they are not always the most obvious choice until they have done a hundred memorable smaller roles and get a reputation among decision makers for being the guy who can bring a spark to the production. Then the actor is suddenly an over-night success because he is doing roles that steal the show, making mainstream audiences finally notice him."

I agree, you described David B perfectly. The directors he worked with have described him the same way. Mainstream audiences are beginning to notice him.

"TV execs suffer from a widespread virus called No Imagination Syndrome."

I'm not sure... I think the right man usually gets the job.

cityof | July 13, 08:02 CET