James Marsden Reflects on His Reputation for Playing the Rom-Com 'Other Guy' (Exclusive)

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James Marsden knows that you know him from something.The actor recently sat down with ET to look back at his career, from early TV roles on shows like and to feature parts that made him a household name like and .So, what parts does he get recognized for in public?

Marsden told ET that fans will most often stop him on the street to talk about playing Cyclops in Bryan Singer'sfilms the rom-comand, of course, . «I was sitting with Adam Shankman… meeting him for the role [in ] and were were at a cafe off Broadway, and I got a tap on my shoulder and Julia Roberts said, 'Hey I just didn't mean to interrupt, but I wanted to let you know that you were in my favorite movie of all time, which was ,'» he recalled. «I was like, drooling, and she left, and then Adam said, 'We were going to give you the role, but now that kind of sealed it.'»«I think like in the '50s, '60s when people would say is the most romantic movie, now a younger generation would, if you think of what's the most romantic movie that comes to mind, most people would say „he continued. “So I feel very proud to be a part of it — even if I am, you know, the other guy.»The «other guy,» as Marsden describes it, did become something of a theme for the actor at one point in his career.

After being jilted by Rachel McAdams in, left in Andalasia by Amy Adams in, and literally murdered by Famke Janssen in, he made a «conscious decision» to seek out other types of roles.«I never was consciously trying to do that,» Marsden said of playing unlucky in love. «It looked like I was only doing that role, 'cause those are the ones that hit — so I guess the public wanted to see me do the other guy.»Read on to see what Marsden had to say about some of his most memorable roles.«was my.