Here comes the big 'brother'

Bearing the kind of cocksure, all-American boy looks that summon comparison to Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and countless Abercrombie and Fitch ads, James Marsden is one of Hollywood’s unsung players — a versatile character actor trapped in a leading man’s body. He has been a superhero in X-Men trilogy, a prince in Enchanted, a singing-and-dancing TV host in Hairspray... and now, he’s Rex, the thirty something big brother from hell, with a muller and one helluva sweet ride in the wacky, raunchy teen road-trip comedy Sex Drive. In an interview, James talks about his off-beat role and younger co-stars.

In the movie, you’re Rex, the big brother from hell. Do you have any experience with a big brother from hell? Or were you a big brother from hell?

No, I have a brother who is a year older and a brother who’s a year younger. We’re very close in age, and I wasn’t bullied… but there was a lot of fighting going on. We were very physical with each other and, you know, beat the shit out of each other a lot growing up. But no, I was never bullied by anyone. A few times in elementary school. I was not a big kid, I was a skinny kid. I was usually the smallest guy in my class. So just innately being that guy you’re going to get pushed around a bit. But I could always defuse it with some humor. I was funny enough that I could hang around with the cool guys.

You’ve been in so many genres — comedy, action-adventure, romance, musicals and you’re going to be in a thriller. Is there any one of those that you prefer?

I enjoy them all, and if I have the option to, I just do whatever I have the appetite for at the moment. You know, the last few years I’ve been lucky to be a part of, like you said, comedies, musicals and stuff and then that sort of satisfied that appetite for the time being. Then (Sex Drive) came along, and it was like “Oh, I’ve never done a John Hughes-like ‘80s teen-sex comedy before, this would be fun.”

What kind of dynamic did you establish with the younger actors on the set. One moment you’re beating them up, but the next, I’m sure, there was a camaraderie.

The movie, particularly, was a party. It was two weeks of work for me; I did my thing and left. But while we were there it was a fun job. It was amazing we got any work done.

Filmed in the tradition of American Pie series, Sex Drive is directed by Sean Anders co-starring Amanda Crew, Clark Duke and Seth Green. It opens tomorrow, Nov. 19 in theaters nationwide.