James Marsden says fans call him 'Donut Lord' following 'Sonic the Hedgehog' success

James Marsden is beloved for many roles — Prince Edward in "Enchanted," Cyclops in the "X-Men" movies, Corny Collins in "Hairspray" — and now he can add another to that list: Tom Wachowski a.k.a Donut Lord!

The Hollywood actor plays the adoptive father of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in the "Sonic the Hedgehog" film series, which will soon release its third installment. The sheriff of Green Hills, Montana, the character also has a great love for donuts.

In an interview, Marsden said that he "honestly never anticipated how universally loved these movies would be, this level of success and love from the fans."

"I thought the name Donut Lord was just going to be a fun little moment in time in the first movie. But now I walk down the street and kids shout, ‘Hey, Donut Lord!’ all the time, like after X-Men when people would call me Cyclops. It’s crazy," he added.

His favorite interaction with fans was at an airport, when a father and his kid walked up to him and gave him a donut in exchange for a photo.

"That was very cute," Marsden said. "Also, at the airport literally three days ago, this TSA [Transportation Security Administration] guy said to me, ‘I'm so excited to see the new movie!’ He started quoting lines from the first one, then lifted up his sleeve and showed me the giant Sonic tattoo he had on his arm. It’s such a crazy, great thing to be a part of."

Marsden said he underestimated how big the movies would become, but that nothing makes him happier to see the reach they have.

"They are special films because they have something in them for kids and adults. There’s a real heart to them and it’s all so masterfully balanced by [director] Jeff Fowler that the enthusiasm continues to grow. We just love that we're making something that people so enjoy."

"Sonic the Hedgehog 3" will premiere in Philippine cinemas on January 15.

The first movie, "Sonic the Hedgehog," was released in 2020. The live action film series is based on the iconic video game series created by Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. —JCB, GMA Integrated News