James Marsden: I Needed Something Fun After Gritty Straw Dogs Role

USMagazine, Friday, August 26, 2011, 2:02pm (PDT)

James Marsden isn't afraid to mix things up.

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In April, the 37-year-old actor starred in the family-friendly flick Hop alongside Kaley Cuoco and Chelsea Handler. Featuring the voice talents of British comedian Russell Brand, the Easter movie debuted at No. 1 at the box office.

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Fast forward five months later to Marsden's latest project, Straw Dogs, a gritty remake of the 1971 home invasion thriller. "I made Straw Dogs first," Marsden tells GQ's September issue, "and now I think you know why I did Hop. I needed to do some goofy pratfalls and talk to a rabbit for a few months."

In Straw Dogs, Marsden plays a Hollywood screenwriter named David Sumner who moves to his wife Amy's Southern hometown. As tension mounts between David and Amy (Kate Bosworth), a brewing conflict with locals -- spearheaded by his wife's ex, played by Alexander Skarsgard -- leads to an incredibly violent attack that includes rape and murder.

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"There's plenty of people out there who will say this movie did not need to be remade," Marsden points out, noting that there are some small differences between his film and the original. "But there are plenty of symphonies out there playing Mozart, you know?"

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