JASON MARSDEN (Haku) is best known to Disney fans for playing Max, son of Goofy, in "A Goofy Movie" (later reprising his role in "An Extremely Goofy Movie" and "House of Mouse"). As cast member on "Spirited Away" he plays Haku, the mysterious shape-shifting youth whom Chihiro is not sure will be her friend or foe in her new world.
"We don’t really know what side Haku is on," Marsden notes. "He’s sort of helping her but you don’t know what his motives are. Is he being genuine or just trying to earn points with his boss?" Marsden had to make Haku both younger and older than his own voice. "He’s fourteen so I had to young him up a little, and yet not make him as energetic as most fourteen-year-olds. It’s like he has a very old soul, he rules with quiet authority. He’s very monotone, very down, very stern."
Doing "Spirited Away" in ADR (Automatic Dialogue Replacement) mode was more challenging than doing a simple dialogue recording, Marsden says. "Here I’m pretty much married to the rhythm of the actor who originally recorded the part. I have to fit their mouth flaps. It’s trying, because you want the performance to come out good, but you want to sync it up, because kids are smart. I used to watch cartoons and if it was a little off I’d pick up on that."
Marsden’s animated voices have included Tino Tonitini in Disney’s "The Weekenders" (2000), Kovu in "The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride" (1998), Richie in The WB’s "Static Shock" (2002), and Snapper Carr in "Justice League" (2000).
For live action TV, Marsden has starred in such series as "The Munsters Today," "Eerie Indiana," "Almost Home" and "Step by Step." Jason has also recurred on "Boy Meets World," "Full House," "Blossom," and guest starred on Disney Channel’s "Even Stevens," "Ally McBeal," "Deep Space Nine" and "Tales From the Crypt."
In feature films, Marsden played the fifteen-year-old version of Billy Crystal’s comedian character Buddy Young, Jr. in the 1992 comedy "Mr. Saturday Night." He also played First Mate to Jeff Bridges’ Captain in Ridley Scott’s "White Squall" (1996).
Expect to see Jason this fall, playing young Burt Ward in the CBS bio-pic Movie of the Week "Back to the Batcave: The True Adventures of Adam West and Burt Ward." Between acting assignments, Marsden writes, directs (DGA), and secretly plots the takeover of Hollywood.
Movie Database
In Theaters
(14 votes)
(6 votes)
(1 votes)
(2 votes)
(4 votes)
(6 votes)