By Jessica Wedemeyer
11:00am PDT, Jul 25, 2017
James Marsden's teen son is a chip off the ol' block! The 16 year old has already started dipping his toes in the modeling world, which his famous father called "nuts" while chatting with Wonderwall.com during Doritos' big Comic-Con event, the Bold or Boom Challenge, which the "Westworld" star co-hosted alongside Joel McHale in San Diego on July 21, 2017. (The actors faced off as the coaches of two teams competing to determine whether Doritos' Cool Ranch or Nacho Cheese flavor is tops.) After talking a whole lot of smack about the former "Community" funnyman, James told us how he really feels about his son's burgeoning modeling career. He also dished on how he's keeping up with his "Westworld" alter ego during the off-season and more! Keep reading for the highlights…
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James Marsden on Doritos' Bold or Boom Challenge and his faux feud with Joel McHale:
"We've got ourselves kind of an old-school brawl happening here. It's sort of a street fight. It's me and Joel McHale. We've never really liked each other. I've known him for ages in this business, but we never spoke a word to each other and don't look at each other. Now we're duking it out. He's coaching team Cool Ranch and I'm coaching team Nacho Cheese for Doritos' Bold or Boom Challenge. We're settling the age-old debate over which is the better flavor. But I have a feeling that both of us might have to fake injuries right before the obstacle course begins. We're providing the emotional support and encouragement. We will fill these fans with fortitude and boldness. We'll be cheering on and coaching but not necessarily doing the obstacle course. I'm not sure HBO [the network behind 'Westworld'] is gonna let me sign that liability waiver."
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James Marsden on who between him and Joel McHale would win the obstacle course if they were to face off:
"Didn't he play college football somewhere? I think he did [very briefly at the University of Washington]. Or he's full of s—- and lied to everybody. He is a flat-out liar. I don't know that I buy that [he played football]. Physically, he definitely has the advantage. He's got a few inches on me. But I think I'd probably beat him on the straight-line speed. So he's got attributes that would help him out, but I'm quick and nimble. I think I'd probably come out ahead. I think he'd get out there and get clumsy — the bigger they are, the harder they fall. I don't think he could move fast enough. That's just me being speculative, though. I don't know for sure. I've got nothing against him except I don't like him and he doesn't like me."
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James Marsden on how he's seen his fans shift over the years:
"I've seen quite a bit of both ['X-Men' and 'Westworld fans]. When I did the first 'X-Men' movie, obviously it was a big thing at Comic-Con. We saw a lot of Scott Summers and Cyclops running around — and you still see them because they keep making the movies even though it's the younger version of me. So there's always a cool 'X-Men' and Marvel presence here. Then it's cool to be here the first year where we have a nice 'Westworld' presence too. The fact that I'm in some way a part of two franchises is pretty special. They're like these feathers in your cap for your career: You're Teddy from 'Westworld' and you're also Cyclops from 'X-Men.' It's pretty cool."
James Marsden on how he keeps up with his "Westworld" character during the off season:
"They set me up so that basically whenever I want to come in [to practice gun slinging], I can. So depending on what the script calls for, I come in and practice — although we rarely know exactly what the scripts are gonna call for because we don't get them too far in advance. But I like to keep my finger strength and my hand strength up. And it's always best to get on a horse and practice riding as much as possible because they always throw things at you when the cameras are rolling that you're not really anticipating or ready for. So I try to get in as much practice as I can. There will always be a surprise on set. I just try to do as much as possible."
James Marsden on his gun-slinging skills:
"I did another movie way back in the day — 10 or 15 years ago — where I had to fire a gun. I got pretty good at it. … So it was sort of muscle memory. Also the fact that you're playing a character who happens to be the fastest gun in the West — you want to be that guy. You want to go and practice as much as possible. The little kid in you — like when you were 8 years old — comes out and wants to look like the guy you're supposed to be. When they write in the script that you take out 29 bad guys in half a second, you want to actually be able to do it. So I'm always there very eager to keep practicing."
James Marsden on how his kids feel about "Westworld":
"My daughter is still a little young. It might freak her out. My son has seen some of it, but he's probably right on the border there: He's 16 so he enjoys it, but some of the bigger themes, he's still a bit young for. But he's proud. When they're younger, my kids are wonderfully underwhelmed with what I do in a great way. But nowadays, Jack, my eldest, is very proud and wants to show up on set and see how it's all done and everything."
James Marsden on his teen son's burgeoning modeling career:
"He's slowly dipping his feet in the waters a little bit. He's testing it out to see what it's about and what it means and if it feels right for him. He's taking it very slowly and cautiously. If it's something that I can help him with, then I will. He's 16 and figuring out his world and who he is and what his strengths are and what his passions are and what he wants to do. This is something that we're just sort of testing out. … It would have been crazy for me at 16, but nowadays, this is when people start. It's nuts. But we're supporting him. I didn't know what the hell I wanted to do at that age. I think he's just trying to figure it out. You don't think 'career' at 16, but if he wants to learn about it, great."
