James Charles Leary on Reprising the Role of Clem in ‘Slayers: A Buffyverse Story’ [Interview]

In Slayers: A Buffyverse Story, Spike has his buddy Clem by his side as they fight the forces of evil. Oh, and they’re still playing poker together too. 

Clem, played by James Charles Leary, was the lovable loose-skinned demon who befriended the Scooby Gang and liked to play kitten poker on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now, James Charles Leary is reprising that role for the new Audible Original series, Slayers: A Buffyverse Story.

I recently spoke with Leary about reprising that role and reuniting with other cast members from Buffy the Vampire Slayer . 

Originally, Leary’s character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer was only meant to be in one episode. So to be part of the Buffyverse again this many years later is especially meaningful to him.

“This has been a 22-year journey,” Leary said.”To be here over 20 years later with Chris [Golden] and Amber [Benson] who wrote some amazing stuff — I’m so happy and I feel like sometimes it doesn’t feel real.”

“I posted the other day, you can dream as much as you want, and sometimes they come true, but you don’t know how they’re always going to come true. So this has just been an amazing trip, and it’s such a fun character to play. I’m so thankful to everyone on the Slayers project.”

Of course, one perk of reprising this role for an Audible series is that Leary doesn’t have to put on all that makeup. 

“Oh, the teeth. Thank God I didn’t have the teeth!” Leary said. “The teeth and the contacts were the worst.”

Leary also talked about working with James Marsters again, specifically. The two actors have remained friends since working together, and continue to have a fun dynamic in the Audible series. 

“Well, the other James, as I like to call him, that chemistry… that was there from the get. He’s a big theater person. I’m a big theater person,” Leary said. “He spent time in Chicago. I spent time in Chicago. So we bonded immediately, and we have been friends for 20-some-odd years. We’ve been all over the world together.”

“But actually getting to flesh out this relationship with him, thanks to Amber, and Chris, and Kc in the direction, has been just so much fun. All the things that were hinted on got to come to fruition, and Amber and Chris really fleshed a lot of that stuff out.”

“And I think it’s so funny and also so heartfelt,” Leary continued. “I think that’s what, to me, the show has always been about, is relationships.”

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Slayers: A Buffyverse Story will be released October 12th on Audible. It is currently available for pre-order here.

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Ashley Bissette Sumerel

Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.