CHARACTER · BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

Spike

11 archived facts 4 topics

Spike is a character in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997), played by James Marsters.

11 Interesting Facts About Spike

Interesting Facts (5)

#001
Spike's signature coat was bought for $2,000 at a high-end fashion store, then repeatedly run over by a truck to give it a worn look.
INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED
Share Report
#002
Spike was originally meant to die in his first season on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997), but his enormous popularity with the show's fans kept the character alive.
INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED
Share Report
#003
Anthony Head coached James Marsters on the London accent he uses for Spike. In real life, Head's own accent is closer to Spike's than the clipped English tones he adopts on the show.
INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED
Share Report
#004
Spike was originally written as a Creole character for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and James Marsters worked on a Bayou accent. At almost the last minute, however, producer Joss Whedon decided the part should be British.
INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED
Share Report
#005
Contains a major spoiler — show
Every season except the last includes a "Buffy's birthday" episode, and each one brings trouble: Nightmares (1997) in season 1, Surprise (1998) in season 2, Helpless (1999) in season 3, A New Man (2000) in season 4, Blood Ties (2001) in season 5 and Older and Far Away (2002) in season 6. In that final episode Spike suggests Buffy stop celebrating her birthday altogether, and the following season has no birthday episode.
INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED
Share Report

#006
James Marsters initially turned down the role of Spike and only wanted to audition after watching Prophecy Girl (1997), when his agent explained how the series differed from the film.
PRODUCTION STORY · SOURCED
Share Report

#007
Contains a major spoiler — show
Kali Rocha, who joined in the sixth season as the vengeance demon Halfreck, had first appeared in a fifth-season flashback as Cecily, the woman who rejected William and set him on the path to becoming the vampire Spike. Having already cast Rocha as Halfreck, the writers knew loyal viewers would recognize her at once, so as an in-joke Halfreck says "William?" the first time she sees Spike. Whether the two are the same character is debated.
EASTER EGGS & REFERENCES · SOURCED
Share Report

#008
In public, he was best known for his bleached platinum-blond hair. Playing Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) meant bleaching it on a regular basis. In a well-known "Entertainment Weekly" interview, he confessed to adding 4 to 7 packets of Sweet 'n' Low to the bleach to ease the sting. After the show wrapped, Marsters had the bleached hair shaved off on television (the hair was sold for charity) and went back to his natural brown.
LIFE & FAMILY · SOURCED
Share Report
#009
Contains a major spoiler — show
Before becoming a vampire, Spike was named William. Angel's real name was Liam, an Irish form of William.
LIFE & FAMILY · SOURCED
Share Report

#010
The V/Y-shaped scar on James Marsters' left eyebrow, which he got in a mugging, was written into the show; make-up artist Todd McIntosh chose to shave part of the brow to make the scar stand out more. McIntosh also carried the scar over to Spike's "vamp face" prosthetic, slightly adjusted so the skin looked stretched. When Spike first appears in the series the wound still looks fresh, but it fades as the series goes on until it is barely noticeable.
INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED
Share Report
#011
James Marsters was unhappy with how Spike was handled as a regular in season four, since a military brain chip had neutered him. He was in fact excited to hear that Spike would fall in love with Buffy, seeing it as a far more interesting reason for the character to stick around, but he opposed Buffy returning his feelings.
INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED
Share Report