X-Men '97 Star Ross Marquand Reveals How X-Men: The Animated Series Inspired Him to Become an Actor

X-Men '97 star Ross Marquand tells Phase Zero how X-Men: The Animated Series inspired his acting career.

By Aaron Perine

X-Men '97 star Ross Marquand says that X-Men: The Animated Series was the reason that he decided to become a voice actor. ComicBook's Phase Zero talked to the Professor X actor about the series so far. And, we had to touch on the impact of the original X-Men cartoon. As a kid at the time, Marquand got completely sucked in by the series. The performances, but especially Wolverine's plight made quite a mark on the young boy. His personal experiences sparked deep empathy for the characters. In fact, Marquand told us that he still remembers the line that sent him down this path all those years ago.

"That was the show that made me want to be an actor," Marquand claimed. "Really, not even joking, swear to God. I was 11 when it came out, I think. Yeah, I'm dating myself a little bit. And, I remember specifically uh having a great affinity to, and a relationship with Wolverine. I was a kid that got picked on a lot. I was in Boy Scouts, and student government, and the chess club and all the nerdy things that get you picked on."

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(Photo: Marvel Entertainment)

"It's like when you have a guy who, you're watching week after week, who's not being a cartoony character. He is a cartoon, but he has so much pain and pathos within him," Marquand recalled. "I remember, my favorite episode of X-Men, I think I'll go back and forth. But, I think my favorite episode of X Men, the original, was one where Wolverine goes to Alaska. He's trying to just center himself. He's trying to find himself and get some sort of peace. And of course, Sabertooth follows him there and it's a whole mess. 

"And I'll remember this line until the day I die. And that line is the reason why I wanted to become an actor. He says, 'There's no peace for me here. There's no peace for me anywhere.' And I thought that's me as a 12 year old boy. I thought I can relate to this," the star revealed. B"ecause, I feel like everywhere I get picked on, and I thought, 'If I could convey a, just a shred of what this actor has done in this role in this moment, that's what I wanna do with my life.'"

Marquand's Hopes For X-Men '97

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Later in the interview, Marquand also talks about the show possibly helping other younger viewers find their voice and inspiring interest. The voice actor is extremely proud of the work they've managed to do in living up to the legacy of X-Men: The Animated Series. With that sky-high Rotten Tomatoes rating and constant daily praise on social media, it's clear that the fans would agree with that sentiment by and large. Still, with a weird malaise that doesn't actually match the quality of output being released in later months, Marquand is hoping that younger viewers will end up looking back on X-Men '97 fondly when they pick up a pencil or a microphone.

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He told ComicBook, "And then, you know, it's just like it's so heavy and I really feel like I'm grateful and I'm hopeful for the next generation of fans who are 10 or 11 years old now watching the show. For them to have the same reaction that I did. For them to be like, 'I wanna do that or I wanna draw Marvel Comics, or I wanna be a part of that world.' That's my hope for this."

Did X-Men: The Animated Series ignite your fandom for superheroes? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

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