American actor James Spader has played over 4 dozen roles in his more than 35-year career in television and film. Among them are works for which he received well-known professional awards.
early years
James Spader was born in 1960 in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. He is the youngest of three children, Gene (née Fraser) and Stoddard Spader. Parents were school teachers and devoted much time to raising their son and two older daughters. As the actor likes to joke, in childhood he was under an extremely tough female dictate, from which he dreamed of getting out as soon as possible. James Spader and his family often moved, so the future actor could not make friends.
First, the boy studied at a private school Pike, where his mother taught painting, and then at a secondary school in the town of North Andover, Massachusetts, where his father worked. James later entered the Phillips Academy in Andover, but dropped out of it in 11th grade and went to New York to become an actor.
Arriving there, Spader worked as a bartender for a couple of years, taught yoga, was a truck driver, unloaded wagons, and served as a groom.
Debut
James Spader played his first film role at the age of 18 in the movie Teammates. The film was designed for a teenage audience and did not have much success. However, the young actor did not have long to wait for the next invitation to shoot, and in 1981 the picture “Endless Love” was released, in which James played the role of Keith Butterfield. The role was not the main one, but his partners were Tom Cruise, Brooke Shields and twice-nominated for an Oscar Shirley Knight, and Spader was noticed by directors who were looking for talented newcomers for their films.
In 1985, the actor has already played in 2 films, including the main role in the youth drama "Wall to Wall". By the way, this was one of the first paintings that young people in the Soviet Union were able to illegally watch on videotapes.
A year later, he was recorded in sex symbols for the role of a handsome playboy in the film "Girl in Pink." This role of a spoiled arrogant soon entrenched in the young actor, and for a long time he could not get rid of him.
Further career
In 1987, James Spader first played the culprit in the movie Less Than Zero. In it, he was asked to create an image of a drug dealer named Rip on the screen. Around the same time, the actor also appeared on the screen in the films "Mannequin", Baby Boom and "Wall Street". Moreover, in the last film, Hollywood stars Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen were invited to the main roles .
"Sex, lies and videos"
This film marked the triumphal debut of the then little-known 26-year-old Stephen Soderberg. For her, the director received the “Palm Branch” at the Cannes Film Festival, and James Spader, who played the main role, was awarded the prize for Best Actor. The partner of the actor was the charming Andy MacDowell, and the picture itself became a cult, its box office was unusually large for a low-budget film.
Thus, on the threshold of the 30th anniversary, Spader could already consider himself an accomplished actor, in front of whom great career horizons open.
In the 1990s
The last 10th anniversary of the twentieth century, James Spader has starred a lot. Among his most successful works of this period, the following roles can be noted:
- Michael Ball in the film "Bad Influence" (1990);
- Tim Geritti in the film “In the True Light” (1991);
- Bob Roberts in Chuck Marlin (1992);
- Gray in the movie "Fowler Storeyville" (1992);
- Jack Pozzi in the film "Music by Occasion" (1993);
- Ray Reardon in the movie "Sex, Lies, Madness" (1993);
- Stuart Swinton in The Wolf (1994);
- Dr. Daniel Jackson in Stargate (1994);
- James Ballard in the movie "Car Crash" (1996);
- Lee Woods in the movie Two Days in the Valley (1996);
- Dr. Werner Ernst in Intensive Care (1997).
Dr. Daniel Jackson
As already mentioned, in 1995, James Spader, films with whose participation are known in Russia, starred in the fantastic film "Stargate". He got the main role of the archaeologist Dr. Daniel Jackson, who is trying to solve the mysteries of history and goes on the trail of the aliens. The film has become the basis for a franchise, which currently includes 2 television films, 3 television series, an animated series, a comic book, several video games, board games and other products.
"Car accident"
This picture of director David Cronenberg based on the novel by James Ballard was shot in 1996. The main role of James Ballard in it was played by James Spader, whose filmography includes absolutely diverse works. The picture had a great public outcry. She received the prize "For Courage, Courage and Originality" at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as prizes in 6 nominations of the Highest National Film Award in Canada. At the same time, the founder of CNN and the famous television magnate Ted Turner declared war on her, calling him immoral.
Work on television
In 2004, the actor received an offer to star in the television project Boston's Lawyers, where he got the main role of lawyer Alan Shore. The series was a huge success with the American television audience. He received 5 Emmy awards (totaling 22 times), as well as Golden Globe prizes (4 nominations) and Peabody (2005).
Filmography of the last decade
Time is inexorable, so over the years, James Spader has parted with the role of handsome. Of his most memorable works of recent years, participation in films and television projects can be noted:
- “Office” (2011);
- “Stone of Desires” (2009);
- Lincoln (2012);
- Black List (2013);
- “Local” (2014);
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).
James Spader: personal life
Since the mid-80s, the actor was fond of yoga. At one of the classes, he met Victoria Keele, with whom he began an affair. In 1987, Spader made a proposal to the girl, which she gladly accepted. During the 17 years of marriage, the couple had 2 sons. After the divorce, James Spader was left alone for four years until he met Leslie Stefanson. As it turned out later, their romance began back in 2000, during the filming of the movie "Robbery", and, possibly, caused the divorce of James and Victoria. In 2008, Leslie gave birth to a son.
Now you know some details of the biography of the American actor James Spader, as well as familiar with his filmography. Let's hope that he will continue to please his fans with interesting roles.