James Marsters is an American actor and voice actor born August 20, 1962, who trained at the Juilliard School and the American Conservatory Theatre. He first achieved widespread fame for his live-action role as Spike on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but he has also established a significant and notable career within the anime voice acting industry, primarily through his work in the Dragon Ball franchise.

Marsters' entry into the world of anime is unique, as it followed his portrayal of the villain Lord Piccolo in the 2009 live-action film Dragonball: Evolution. The film was poorly received by fans of the original manga and anime series. Years later, seeking to redeem himself with the Dragon Ball community, Marsters was cast as the voice of Zamasu, a complex antagonist, in the English dub of the popular anime series Dragon Ball Super. He agreed to take on the role for free, motivated by his personal desire to reconnect positively with the franchise and its fanbase. He later voiced the character again for Future Zamasu in the video game Dragon Ball FighterZ.

Because of his desire to be judged on the quality of his performance in the anime rather than on his reputation from the live-action film, Marsters initially chose to work under a pseudonym. He is credited for his work in Dragon Ball Super under the name David Gray. In the video game Dragon Ball FighterZ, he is similarly credited as Sam Majesters. His involvement in these projects was eventually confirmed publicly by Marsters and Dragon Ball Super voice director Christopher Sabat at a fan convention.

Beyond his pivotal role in the Dragon Ball series, Marsters' broader voice acting career includes work in several animated series that, while not strictly anime, exist at the intersection of Western animation and Japanese-inspired or superhero genres. He has voiced roles such as Sergei in Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, Lex Luthor in the animated film Superman: Doomsday, and Mister Fantastic in The Super Hero Squad Show. His contribution to the English dub of Dragon Ball Super remains his most prominent and defining achievement in the anime industry, noted for the unusual circumstances of his casting and his high-profile use of an alias to conceal his involvement.