James Spader
Highest Rated: 100% The Music of Chance (1993)
Lowest Rated: 10% The Watcher (2000)
Birthday: Feb 7, 1960
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Often noted for his comment that he enjoys working in all of his films -- as long as he doesn't have to see any of them -- actor James Spader (born February 2nd, 1960) may have missed out on seeing a few good performances in some pretty memorable films.Though descended from a long line of scholars and professors, Spader, in ironic contrast to his theatrical image as the definitive terminal yuppie, dropped out of Phillips Andover prep school to pursue a career as an actor. Forsaking his formal education, Spader instead decided to focus his attention on acting by studying at the Michael Chekhov school in New York, while also working a variety of odd jobs to support himself until he found success as a thespian. Making his debut in the 1978 comedy Team Mates, Spader began the slow process of gaining more frequent work with roles of increasing substance. Spader's first role came in Franco Zeffirelli's soft-core teen melodrama Endless Love (1981) (also notable as the debut of another young unknown actor named Tom Cruise. After a brief, mid-'80s stint in teen exploitation including Tuff Turf and The New Kids (both 1985), Spader gained mainstream recognition with his first fore in yuppiedom as Molly Ringwald's insincere suitor in Pretty in Pink (1986). Over the course of the next few years, Spader would refine his slimy persona to perfection in Wall Street (1987) and Less Than Zero (1987), and take an interesting turn as a possible serial killer in the Jack the Ripper thriller Jack's Back (1988), but it was the end of the decade that brought the defining role in Spader's career.Though his role in independent filmmaker Steven Soderbergh's voyeurism-obsessed sex, lies and videotape did little to propel his persona into more likeable territories, it showed an actor with considerable talent who wasn't afraid to take risks, winning him the Best Actor award at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. Spader's dark portrayal of the ominously seductive videophile struck a chord in audiences and critics alike and turned him into a household name. The '90s found Spader expanding his yuppie image into more sympathetic territory with roles in White Palace and Bad Influence (both 1990), and he continued his likeable trend in the first of the mega-budget Dean Devlin/Roland Emmerich collaborations, Stargate (1994), before reverting back as Jack Nicholson's manipulative lycanthropic rival in Mike Nichols' imaginative satire Wolf (1994). Controversy soon followed with David Cronenberg's widely panned study of fetishistic alienation Crash (1996), and Spader has worked steadily since, with roles in Supernova (2000) and Speaking of Sex (2001). With the release of Secretary (2002), Spader once again found himself in the favor of art house audiences for his portrayal of a demanding lawyer who hires a recently released mental patient for the eponimous duty.Spader found success on the small screen once again for his work on Boston Legal from 2004 to 2008 as the character of Alan Shore, a vehemently moral attorney who resorts to unethical methods during his pursuit of justice (a role that would win the actor two Emmys). Spader made a guest appearance on an episode of The Office, and returned to the sitcom in 2011 as part of the main cast. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

MOVIES

CREDIT
75% Avengers: Age of Ultron Ultron $429.2M 2015
81% The Homesman Aloysius Duffy — 2014
89% Lincoln W.N. Bilbo $129.5M 2012
46% Shorts: The Adventures of the Wishing Rock Mr. Black $20.9M 2009
No Score Yet Discovery Atlas Narrator — 2006
No Score Yet Shadow of Fear William Ashbury — 2004
No Score Yet Alien Hunter Julien Rome — 2003
No Score Yet I Witness Douglas Draper — 2003
No Score Yet Speaking of Sex Dr. Klink — 2003
No Score Yet The Pentagon Papers Daniel Ellsberg — 2003
No Score Yet The Stickup Parker — 2002
76% Secretary Mr. Grey $3.9M 2002
10% The Watcher Joel Campbell $28.6M 2000
11% Slow Burn Marcus — 2000
No Score Yet Curtain Call Stevenson Lowe — 2000
10% Supernova Nick Vanzant — 2000
59% Critical Care Dr. Werner Ernst — 1997
No Score Yet Driftwood The Man — 1997
59% 2 Days in the Valley Lee Woods — 1996
10% Keys to Tulsa Ronnie Stover — 1996
59% Crash James Ballard $3.2M 1996
60% Wolf Stewart Swinton — 1994
57% Dream Lover Ray Reardon — 1994
100% The Music of Chance Jack Pozzi — 1993
97% Bob Roberts News Anchor Chuck Marin — 1992
67% Storyville Cray Fowler — 1992
47% True Colors Tim Gerrity — 1991
59% White Palace Max Baron — 1990
71% Bad Influence Michael Boll — 1990
96% Sex, Lies, and Videotape Graham Dalton — 1989
40% The Rachel Papers DeForrest — 1989
60% Jack's Back John/Rick Westford — 1988
78% Wall Street Roger Barnes — 1987
52% Less Than Zero Rip — 1987
73% Baby Boom Ken — 1987
26% Mannequin Richards — 1987
78% Pretty in Pink Steff McKee — 1986
17% Tuff Turf Morgan Hiller — 1985
No Score Yet The New Kids Dutra — 1985
No Score Yet Starcrossed Joey Callaghan — 1985
No Score Yet Family Secrets Lowell Everall — 1984
No Score Yet Cocaine: One Man's Seduction Buddy Gant — 1983
29% Endless Love Keith — 1981

TV

CREDIT
91% The Blacklist
2013
Raymond "Red" Reddington Producer
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
No Score Yet The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
2015
Guest
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
No Score Yet Late Night With Seth Meyers
2014
Guest
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
No Score Yet The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
Guest
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
No Score Yet Charlie Rose
2013-2017
Guest
  • 2017
60% The Blacklist: Redemption
2017
  • 2017
No Score Yet Today
2017
Guest
  • 2017
No Score Yet Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
2009-2014
Guest
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2010
No Score Yet The Tonight Show With Jay Leno
1992-2014
Guest
  • 2013
  • 2012
No Score Yet The View
1997
Guest
  • 2013
  • 2012
89% The Office
2005-2013
Robert California
  • 2012
  • 2011
No Score Yet The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003
Guest
  • 2012
  • 2006
87% Boston Legal
2004-2008
Alan Shore
  • 2008
  • 2007
  • 2006
  • 2005
  • 2004
No Score Yet The Practice
1997-2004
Alan Shore
  • 2004
  • 2003
No Score Yet The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
1999-2015
Guest
  • 2003
88% Seinfeld
1989-1998
  • 1997
94% Frasier
1993-2004
Voice of Steven
  • 1994
No Score Yet The Family Tree
1983
Jake Nichols
  • 1983

QUOTES FROM James Spader CHARACTERS