“People think I’m the guy who never gets the girl,” James Marsden says, and he has a point. Over the course of two decades, he has established an on-screen reputation as the amiable, boy next door who’s sweet enough to take home, but just square enough to leave behind.

In “The Notebook,” “Enchanted” and even “X-Men,” Marsden ends up getting passed up for someone else. That’s one reason his performance in “Straw Dogs,” director Rod Lurie’s remake of the 1971 Sam Peckinpah classic, stood out: Marsden may start out as the passive, infuriatingly polite husband of Kate Bosworth, but by the end [SPOILER ALERT] he has undergone a savage transition from milquetoast to murderer.

Marsden also mixed things up in 2011 by returning to television — where he got his start way back in the 90’s on “The Nanny” — with a cameo role in “Modern Family.” And on Jan. 12, he begins a six-episode run on “30 Rock,” playing Liz Lemon’s latest love interest. (Apparently, being a nice guy has its perks.)

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The midseason return of “30 Rock” kicks off Thursday, Jan. 12, and with another season comes another love interest for Tina Fey’s quirky onscreen persona, Liz Lemon.

Anyone else think she has more game — and probably as many losers — than Carrie Bradshaw? We’ve seen her fall for Dennis (Dean Winters of “Oz,” “Rescue Me”), the beeper-selling dude who called Liz “dummy; there was Floyd (“SNL’s” Jason Sudeikis), the “flower guy” who moves to Cleveland; Drew (played by “Mad Men’s” dapper Jon Hamm), the doctor completely oblivious of his good looks; and the pilot with the unfortunate name, Carol Burnett (played by Matt Damon). And that’s just naming a few. (An honorary mention should go to her imaginary boyfriend, Astronaut Mike Dexter.)

This season, Liz fancies a guy who hawks meat on the street. And the show has enlisted James Marsden, known for his roles on “X-Men” and “The Notebook,” to be that guy. Marsden will appear in a six-episode arc as a laid-back hot dog vendor. Show Tracker spoke to the actor on playing in the TV pond, what we can expect from his “30 Rock” stint and his playing a game that has proved troublesome for “30 Rock” stars in the past: Words With Friends.

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I’ve added 26 HQ pics of Jimmy attending the Tommy Hilfiger Men’s Spring 2012 fashion show in New York last year.

GALLERY LINK:
Public Appearances > [2011.09.09]Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week – Tommy Hilfiger Men’s Spring 2012 Fashion Show (HQ)

Tell someone you’re going to be interviewing James Marsden and the first thing they’ll probably say is, “Ask him about Enchanted!”

That’s what happened to me the other day.

Specifically, everyone wants to know where in the world is the sequel to that fairy-tale blockbuster? Weren’t he and Amy Adams signed on to reprise their roles as Prince Edward and Giselle?

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James Marsden has made a career out of playing the guy you want the leading lady to end up with (think Enchanted or 27 Dresses). But in his latest film, Straw Dogs, he plays such a deeply insecure and unpredictable guy that you can’t decide if the guy with the dynamic cheekbones and killer smile is actually “good” for our leading lady.

Moral greyness is a major theme throughout the thriller, a remake of Dustin Hoffman’s 1971 classic — both of which proved to be major selling points for Marsden when it came time to sign on. The actor recently spoke with ETonline about his attraction to the project, why going a little mad sometimes can be good for an actor and why he still longs to slip back into his X Men uniform one day.

ETonline: What was it about this script that spoke to you?
James Marsden: It really was the role itself. There’s an actors feast there. I was very aware of the affection many people have for the original – specifically Dustin Hoffman’s performance. He’s about as perfect as one can get in that film, yet I couldn’t stop thinking about what a great role it is for an actor and at the end of the day, I couldn’t turn that down.

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Rod Lurie directs the controversial remake of Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs, which finds a young couple (James Marsden and Kate Bosworth) moving to a quaint southern town. Soon, though, their perfect getaway turns into a living hell when dark secrets and lethal passions spiral out of control. Trapped by a pack of depraved locals led by a ruthless predator (Alexander Skarsgård), they face a night of agonizing suffering and endless bloodshed. Their only hope for survival is to become more savage than their merciless tortures.

Straw Dogs makes its awaited debut on Blu-ray and DVD today, Tuesday, December 20th. To celebrate this release, we caught up with star James Marsden to go in-depth into the making of this modern day classic thriller.

Here is our conversation.

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Just to remind everyone that DVD and Blu-ray of “Straw Dogs” have been released. If you havn’t seen this movie at cinema, now you can purchase the DVD or Blu-ray Disk to watch it at home. The DVD and Blu-ray also include these special features:

Commentary with Writer/Director Rod Lurie
Courting Controversy: Remaking a Classic
The Dynamics of Power: The Ensemble
Inside the Siege: The Ultimate Showdown
Creating the Sumner House: The Production Design

HongKong Edition of “Straw Dogs” DVD and Blu-ray will be released on Dec 23, 2011.

What kind of mischief will Liz Lemon find herself in during “30 Rock” Season 6? There’s a new man, the return of Devon Banks, Kelsey Grammer as himself, Jack living his life as a single dad and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“Liz is completely re-energized,” series star and creator Tina Fey said in an exclusive new NBC promo. Liz has a hunky new boyfriend played by James Marsden, but he’s not her usual type.

“She’s trying to loosen up a little bit by dating somebody who is a little more laid-back,” Marsden said. “That could either be good for her or ultimately bad for her.”

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Sundance Institute recently announced the films selected to screen in the out-of-competition Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Two of Jimmy’s new films, “Bachelorette” and “Robot and Frank” both are on the list. The festival will take place from January 19 until January 29, and hopefully we’ll see Jimmy promoting his new films next month.

I’ve also added a high quality still from “Bachelorette”.

GALLERY LINK:
Movie/TV Productions > Bachelorette > Promotional Stills

I’ve uploaded the photoshoot which Jimmy did for InStyle Magazine with his “Heights” co-star Jesse Bradford during 2005 Sundance Film Festival.

GALLERY LINK:
Photoshoot Outtakes > Magazine Outtakes > Lisa Romerein Photoshoot for InStyle (April 2005)