While you may not immediately recognize the name Jason Marsden, there’s a good chance that you’re familiar this his work. That’s because he’s voiced some of the most beloved animated characters on the big and small screens, including Disney’s Max Goof, Kim Possible’s Felix Renton, Thackery Binx from Hocus Pocus, and Garfield’s nemesis, Nermal. He’s also appeared in popular live-action projects such as the TV show Boys Meets World.
Who Is Jason Marsden?
Jason Marsden was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on January 3rd, 1975. Contrary to popular belief, he’s not the brother of X-Men star James Marsden, though IMDb says that the two actors are good friends.
WhenJason Marsden was just 11 years old, he moved to California to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. He started scoring TV roles almost immediately, appearing on popular shows such as Webster, Murphy Brown, Blossom, and Ally McBeal. He also had recurring roles on General Hospital, Full House, and Boy Meets World and was a full-time cast member on the sitcom Step By Step from 1993 until 1998.
While Marsden was clearly a pro when it came to live-action parts, the young actor really hit his stride when he got into voice work. He voiced Thackery Binx in the 1993 classic movie Hocus Pocus starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. In 1995, he became the new voice of Max Goof (son of Goofy) in the Disney animated film, A Goofy Movie. Marsden’s been playing the beloved character ever since, appearing in Disney’s House of Mouse, Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas, An Extremely Goofy Movie, and more.
Marsden provided the voice for Felix Renton on the Disney Channel show Kim Possible and voiced the character of Nermal in the CGI movies Garfield Gets Real, Garfield’s Fun Fest, and Garfield’s Pet Force. He’s also voiced characters in animated hits like Tarzan, Spirited Away, Monsters University, and The Secret Life of Pets.
Marsden On Voicing Max Goof In The ‘Goofy Movie’ Franchise
When Marsden scored his audition for A Goofy Movie back in 1995, he had no idea the movie would become such a classic—and that he’d still be voicing the iconic character 25 years later. “It was just another audition, just another day as a freelance actor,” he said in a 2020 interview with Nerdist. “I got a call, I was 18 years old at the time and I remember I went to Vegas for the first time with my best friend and his family. But I had to cut the trip short because I had to come back and audition for this big movie, a Disney movie starring Goofy and based on Goof Troop. I went in, I read, and they liked what I did. And lo and behold, here I am.”
Looking back, Marsden says he totally understands why the movie has had so much staying power. “It was the perfect mid 90s movie,” he said. “It hit all the feels that were going on at the time, including the music, which you know, we can’t overlook. As you get older, it still holds this special nostalgia in your heart. And then you want to revisit that and maybe it still holds up. Then you want to share that. These kids, they grew up, they had relationships, they had kids, and they want to share those feels, they wanna share that feel good with everyone else!”
What Is Jason Marsden Doing Now?
So what is this prolific actor and voice artist up to these days? He recently created a web series called The Mars Variety Show, a comedy/music show featuring musicians, comedians, and other artists from the Nashville, Tennessee area. In a recent AMA on Reddit, Marsden explained that he was inspired by the old-school variety shows of the 60s and 70s, as well as the local arts scene.
“I live in Nashville, TN and am surrounded by amazing musicians. There is also a very saturated comedy, art, and circus scene here as well. I had been fascinated by the classic variety shows of the ‘60s and ‘70s, like Laugh In, Hee Haw, and the like. Dean Martin Show, Johnny Cash Show, programs featuring music, comedy, celebrity fun. I thought, man, I could do something like that.”
“For my 40th bday, I threw myself a variety show, casting myself as the Dean Martin and invited all my muso, comic, and artist friends to join. It was a relentless good time that I continued to do many times after. Since covid, it seemed a fun idea to do it as a web series.”
Marsden is also an avid social media user, frequently posting content on his Instagram and Twitter feeds. He doesn’t appear to have any major voice or acting roles coming up, which seems to be just fine with Marsden, who loves spending time at home with his family!
