James Marsden Breaks Down ‘Your Friends & Neighbors’ Season 2 Premiere and Reveals the Secret to Playing a Charming Douchebag
Why it matters: James Marsden's Owen Ashe will disrupt the fragile new beginnings for Coop and Samantha in "Your Friends & Neighbors" Season 2.
- James Marsden swaggers into "Your Friends & Neighbors" Season 2 as Owen Ashe, a rich, cocky bachelor who throws an ostentatious party and cozies up to Coop and Samantha.
- Owen Ashe serves as a foil to Jon Hamm’s character, Coop, shaking up Westmont Village just as Coop attempts to rebuild his life after being exonerated for murder.
- Olivia Munn and Jon Hamm personally recruited Marsden for the role via text, leveraging their existing relationships from a fantasy football league and shared Oklahoma City roots.
- Marsden finds it easier to play characters distinct from himself, drawing inspiration for Ashe from high-energy, high-net-worth individuals he's encountered, while aiming to keep the character charming rather than overtly "douchey."
James Marsden joins "Your Friends & Neighbors" Season 2 as Owen Ashe, a wealthy, charming provocateur who immediately disrupts the lives of Jon Hamm's character, Coop, and Olivia Munn's Samantha, fresh off their Season 1 legal troubles. Marsden, who was personally recruited by Hamm and Munn (his sister's friend and fantasy football league mate), relishes playing the "charming douchebag" role, aiming to blur the lines between potential friendship and conflict with Coop.
