Marsha Thomason joins the cast as Diana in season two of USA Network’s original series “White Collar”. “White Collar” is described by USA Online as being  about the unlikely partnership of a con artist and an FBI agent who have been playing cat and mouse for years. Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer), a charming criminal mastermind, is finally caught by his nemesis, FBI Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay.)

Marsha plays  Diana who is in the FBI and whom Peter completely trusts. Diana has recently returned to New York for all the action. However, this takes a toll on her relationship with her girlfriend, Christie; stormy times are ahead.

It will be great to have Marsha back on our screens again and we look forward to the second season.

She recently accepted a role on new American televsion drama, ‘Make It or Break It’ created by Holly Sorensen that focuses on the lives of teen gymnasts who strive to make it to the Olympic Games. Having premiered on ABC Family on June 22,2009 it has attracted 2.5 million viewers.

The show is set to create another 10 episodes which are scheduled to be aired in the US in January 2010, bringing the number of episodes in the first season to 20.

Marsha Thomason is set to play the role of MJ.

To find out more about Marsha’s career and her other stand out roles, check out her exclusive interviews with t5m.

What has been your favourite role Marsha has played?

Released in 1993 and starring esteemed actor Robert Carlyle, the film explored the lives of a homeless community in London – and it was this role which confirmed to Marsha what sort of actress she wanted to be, and the kind of roles she wanted to audition for. 

Resisting the temptation of the security of soap-opera stardom, Marsha strove for roles with integrity and which would challenge her as an actress.

Providing inspiration, invaluable advice and candid accounts of her rise to fame – Marsha Thomason on t5m is not to be missed.

Marsha also praises television programmes such as Lost, Greys Anatomy and Heroes for having mixed race casts and explains that she would want to stand as an inspiration to young girls who feel held back by other people’s attitudes to their race and ethnicity. Marsha says “I’ve taken this on – i want people to look at me and say ’she did it’”

Marsha also compares the audition processes of the UK and USA, describing American auditions as being ‘like a machine’, with many actors only being given ‘one take’ to get it right. It clearly frustrates Marsha so much, that she exclaims ‘if i never had to audition again, it would be too soon!’.

However, they clearly aren’t all that bad, as Marsha also relives her Lost audition which she says was ‘very enjoyable’ …!

But even Marsher couldn’t resist the power of Malcolm X and Glory – which she used to watch with her mum and which taught her about the American Civil War for the first time. Marsha also talks about the memorable scenes in The L Word, when leading character Dana died of cancer, which Marsha found particularly touching as it bought the reality of cancer home to her.

Looking particularly at the work of Lee Strasberg and Stanislavski, Marsha describes the process of achieving a state of total calm and relaxation, where one can then channel the emotions and experiences of the past as a way of aiding acting and becoming realistic and believable.

Proving that there is far more to acting than turning up and reciting lines, Marsha gets in depth and intellectual with t5m  as we discover the academics behind drama, theatre and acting.

She also offers a piece of advice for anyone in the industry, or thinking of becoming an actor, that she learnt from one of her more formidable teachers: ‘dont think you’re all that, you will be replaced’.

Speaking candidly about her experience in the movie and television industry, Marsha tells t5m how she ‘loathes’ having to think about her appearance as part of being an actor and how she feels ‘ robbed of her innocence’ now that she’s aware people consider race in such a specific way. Marsha also compares the different attitudes of British and Americans towards ‘issues of race’ and ethnicity in the movie business.

She also vents her frustration that now, as an adult, she will never get the chance to play Tallulah in one of her all time favourite shows, Bugsy Malone.