DespiteJames Spader’s success and acclaim, one might be surprised to learn that he has only played two characters in the past decade, including his role as Ultron inAvengers: Age of Ultron. Spader kicked off his acting career in the late 1970s, buthis big breakthrough didn’t happen until the 1989 drama filmSex, Lies, and Videotape.He garnered some attention for his role as Steff in 1986’sPretty in Pink. However,Sex, Lies, and Videotapetruly opened the door for bigger opportunities forSpader on the big screen.
James Spader is set to reprise his Marvel Cinematic Universe role as Ultron in the upcoming untitled Vision series, which will also feature the return of Paul Bettany as Vision (perThe Hollywood Reporter).
In the early 2000s, Spader was cast in the ABC seriesThe Practice, ultimately resulting in him leading the critically acclaimed spinoffBoston Legal. Over the course ofBoston Legal’s five seasons, Spader received three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Alan Shore in the legal drama, cementing his success as a TV star.Five years afterBoston Legalended, Spader landed his next big TV role,which is only one of two characters the actor has portrayed in the last 10 years.
Apart From Age Of Ultron, James Spader Has Only Done The Blacklist In The Last 10 Years
Spader Played Reddington For 10 Seasons
The only role other than Ultron inAvengers: Age of Ultronthat James Spader has taken on in the past decade is Raymond “Red” Reddington inThe Blacklist.Spader, as the face ofThe Blacklist, starred as the protagonistthroughoutthe NBC crime thriller show’s 10 seasonsand 218 episodes. From the premiere in September 2013 to the series finale in July 2023, Spader’s Reddington was there through it all. He and a secret FBI task force hunt down dangerous criminals even the government agency do not know about, with each adversary being on Reddington’s Blacklist.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Ultron (voice)
Now thatThe Blacklisthas ended,Spader is set to reprise his voice role as Ultron in the upcoming Vision TV show on Disney+,which is expected to premiere in 2026. It’s unclear how Ultron is returning to the MCU, given how the villain’s story concluded inAvengers: Age of Ultron. Nevertheless, Spader continues his streak of only playing two characters since 2015.
Iron Man’s MCU Legacy Faces Its Biggest Challenge In 1 Upcoming MCU Release (& It’s Nothing To Do With Dr Doom)
Iron Man’s MCU legacy might be in jeopardy in one upcoming Disney+ show released before Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom debuts in Avengers: Doomsday.
Why The Blacklist Ran For So Long (And Why James Spader Wasn’t Playing Other Roles)
Spader’sThe Blacklistwas quite a success during its run on NBC. Any TV show that lasts for 10 seasons and over 200 episodes is a massive triumph in this day and age, after all. However, because of the crime thriller’s longevity, Spader didn’t explore any other roles (outside Ultron) while starring in the series.Working on network TV shows is quite demanding and likely took up most of the actor’s schedule,leading to his very few projects in the past decade. It was also probably Spader’s preference to limit his workload toThe Blacklistand the MCU.
Every season ofThe Blacklisthad at least 22 episodes, except for season 7, which only had 19 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Another factor contributing toThe Blacklistgetting 10 seasons is that it performed well during practically any night of the week. Season 1 and the first half of season 2 aired on Mondays, while the second half of season 2, and all of seasons 3 and 4, aired on Thursdays. The series also aired on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and returned to Thursdays during the first half of season 9. Even though the ratings never returned to the heights of seasons 1 and 2, NBC knew it could depend on the series to do well amidst a shifting schedule.
James Spader’s Performance Is One Of The Reasons The Blacklist Works So Well
He Was The Perfect Person To Play Reddington
WhileThe Blacklisthad its ups and downs,Spader’s portrayal of Reddington was the key to the show’s popularity and its extensive run. From the moment Reddington surrendered himself to the FBI in the pilot episode, Spader brought an enigmatic quality to the character that made him riveting to watch. The enigma of Reddington was further enhanced by his charisma, eccentricities, and his larger-than-life presence. It felt just as genuine for Reddington to be intimidating and ruthless as it was for him to be charming and polite.
No matter what was happening in the story, Spader always made Reddington an entertaining and delightfully complex antihero to watch.
Even when the mystery around Reddington’s identity and his relationship with Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone) became convoluted and frustrating, these narrative missteps could be forgiven due to Spader’s performance. No matter what was happening in the story, Spader always made Reddington an entertaining and delightfully complex antihero to watch. Between all the different criminals Reddington and the FBI task force faced, to series regulars like Boone andMozhan Marnò leavingThe Blacklist, many elements of the show changed, but Reddington was the one constant that kept the show alive for a decade.
James Spader Only Playing Raymond Reddington For So Long Makes The Blacklist Even More Special
He Did Not Want To Play The Character Indefinitely
Ensuring that there was a definitive end to Reddington’s story also made Spader’s time as the character more special. This meant that the audience wasable to spend ample time with Reddington while also being prepared for his story to reach its conclusion. Spader spoke withNBCand explained that if the show had been extended to season 11, it likely would have strayed too far from the series that audiences knew and loved. He also discussed how he appreciated the show’s ability to switch between genres depending on the Blacklister that an episode focused on. Read Spader’s comments below:
I think if the show went beyond this year, it would turn into a very different show. And I think that the thing that has been nice about this show was that we’ve never really had a really clear paradigm for the show. Tonally the show shifts a lot from episode to episode, and I think that even the show has taken strange turns, and I suspect that the show, if it went much further, would just become something that would be less recognizable to me.
Playing Reddington for so long might have ended up feeling less special if Spader had never decided to step away from the role and if the show had tried to go beyond season 10. Instead, Spader made sure that Reddington’s story could end in a way that felt true to the essence of his character and to his relationships with the rest ofThe Blacklist’s cast of characters. Many key figures were gone from the show by season 10, but Dembe Zuma (Hisham Tawfiq), Harold Cooper (Harry Lennix), and Donald Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) were there from beginning to end.
The Blacklist Wasted A Huge Opportunity Not Bringing Back This Underused Season 6 Villain Group
During its 218 episodes, The Blacklist brought back many villains, and that should have included a villain group introduced in season 6.
There was able to be closure in Reddington’s relationships with Dembe, Cooper, and Ressler.The Blacklistarguably went downhillin its later seasons, but the show’s trajectory would have been far worse if Spader had not made a point of putting a clear end to playing Reddington. Regardless of what happens withJames Spaderreprising the role of Ultron in the MCU,The Blacklist’s Reddington will forever be one of the actor’s most defining roles, and one that will always feel unique and captivating to watch.
