James Spader
Encyclopedia
James Todd Spader is an American actor best known for his eccentric
roles in movies
such as Pretty in Pink
, Less Than Zero
, Sex, Lies, and Videotape
, Crash
, Stargate
, and Secretary
. His most famous television roles are those of the colorful attorney Alan Shore in The Practice
and its spin-off Boston Legal
, for which he won three Emmy Awards, and Robert California
in The Office.
, Massachusetts
, the son of teachers Jean (Fraser) and Stoddard Greenwood "Todd" Spader. During his early education, he attended The Pike School
(where his mother taught art) and enrolled in the Brooks School
(where his father taught) for one year in North Andover, Massachusetts
. Spader later transferred to Phillips Academy
, but dropped out of school in the eleventh grade to pursue acting at the Michael Chekhov
School in New York City. Before becoming a full-time actor, Spader held a variety of jobs including being a yoga instructor, busboy, truck driver, stable boy, and railroad-car loader.
' brother in Endless Love
, and his first starring role was in Tuff Turf
alongside good friend Robert Downey, Jr.. But he did not rise to stardom until 1986, when he played Molly Ringwald
's foil Steff in Pretty in Pink
. He starred opposite Andrew McCarthy
, another friend, in Mannequin
, and in the film adaptation of Less Than Zero
, where he played a drug dealer named Rip. Supporting roles in movies such as Baby Boom
and Wall Street followed until his critical breakthrough in 1989. In sex, lies and videotape, he played a sexual voyeur named Graham who complicates the lives of three Baton Rouge residents. For this performance, he received the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival
. His roles in the early 1990s included playing a young, affluent widower opposite Susan Sarandon
in White Palace, John Cusack
's best friend in True Colors
, and a poker-playing drifter who collides with Mandy Patinkin
in The Music of Chance
. In 1994, he starred as Egyptologist
Daniel Jackson in the blockbuster hit Stargate
. He played car-accident fetishist James Ballard in the controversial Canadian film Crash
in 1996 and assassin Lee Woods in 2 Days in the Valley
. In 1997, Spader guest starred in an episode of Seinfeld
as an angry recovering alcoholic who refuses to apologize to George
for making fun of him. In 2000, he played a drug-addicted detective tracking down serial killer
Keanu Reeves
in The Watcher
. In 2001, he starred as Maggie Gyllenhaal
's sadistic boss in the critically acclaimed Secretary
.
From 2004 to 2008, Spader starred as the lead character Alan Shore in the TV series Boston Legal
, in which he reprised his role from the TV series The Practice
. Spader won the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Emmy Award
for his portrayal of Alan Shore in 2004, on The Practice and won it again in 2005 and 2007, for Boston Legal. With the 2005 Emmy Win, Spader became one of the few actors (along with co-star William Shatner
as Denny Crane) to win an Emmy award while playing the same character in two different series. Even rarer, Shatner and Spader each won a second consecutive Emmy while playing the same character in two different series. Spader also won the Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical for Boston Legal in 2006.
In October 2006, Spader narrated China Revealed, the first episode of Discovery Channel
's documentary series Discovery Atlas
. Boston Legal cast mate Candice Bergen
would follow him in narrating France Revealed. He has also done the voice-over
in several television commercials for Acura
.
Spader starred as a lead character in Race
, a play written and directed by David Mamet
, alongside Richard Thomas
, David Alan Grier
and Kerry Washington
. It opened on December 6, 2009 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre
on Broadway. The show closed on August 21, 2010 after 297 performances.
In March 2011, Spader was named to star in By Virtue Fall, a film written and to be directed by Sheldon Turner
. Also set to star in the film are Eric Bana
, Carla Gugino
, Ryan Phillippe
, Treat Williams
and Kim Coates
. , the movie is in pre-production, and set to be released 2013.
Spader was one of a number of prominent guest stars in "Search Committee
," the final episode of season 7 of The Office. He portrayed a man named Robert California
. , he was in talks to become a series regular. As of 27th June 2011, Ricky Gervais
(an executive producer on the show) announced Spader was to join the cast on a permanent basis. It was confirmed on July 6th, 2011 that Spader would replace Kathy Bates'
character Jo Bennett
as new CEO of Sabre Dunder-Mifflin.
studio, after he moved to New York in the 1980s. They married in 1987 and have two sons, Elijah and Sebastian. Spader filed for divorce from Kheel in 2004 and, , has plans to marry his girlfriend (and his former co-star), Leslie Stefanson
, with whom he had a child in August 2008.
Eccentricity (behavior)
In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive...
roles in movies
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
such as Pretty in Pink
Pretty in Pink
Pretty in Pink is a 1986 American teen romantic comedy-drama film about teenage love and social cliques in 1980s American high schools. It is one of a group of John Hughes films starring Molly Ringwald, and is commonly identified as a "Brat Pack" film...
, Less Than Zero
Less Than Zero (film)
Less Than Zero is a 1987 American drama film loosely based on Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name. The film stars Andrew McCarthy as Clay, a college freshman returning home for Christmas to spend time with his ex-girlfriend Blair and his friend Julian , who is also a drug addict...
, Sex, Lies, and Videotape
Sex, lies, and videotape
Sex, Lies, and Videotape is a 1989 independent film that brought director Steven Soderbergh to prominence. It tells the story of a man who films women discussing their sexuality, and his impact on the relationship of a troubled married couple....
, Crash
Crash (1996 film)
Crash is a 1996 Canadian/British drama thriller film written and directed by David Cronenberg based on the J. G. Ballard 1973 novel of the same name. It tells the story of a group of people who take sexual pleasure from car accidents, a notable form of paraphilia. The film generated considerable...
, Stargate
Stargate (film)
Stargate is a 1994 American adventure-military science fiction film released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco Pictures. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise...
, and Secretary
Secretary (film)
Secretary is a 2002 independent film directed by Steven Shainberg and starring Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway and James Spader as E. Edward Grey...
. His most famous television roles are those of the colorful attorney Alan Shore in The Practice
The Practice
The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
and its spin-off Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
, for which he won three Emmy Awards, and Robert California
Robert California
Robert California is a fictional character on The Office, played by James Spader. He has no counterpart on the original British version of the series.- Season 7 :...
in The Office.
Early life
Spader was born in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, the son of teachers Jean (Fraser) and Stoddard Greenwood "Todd" Spader. During his early education, he attended The Pike School
The Pike School
The Pike School, founded in 1926 by Cynthia E. Pike, is an independent, coed day school in Andover, Massachusetts that serves students in grades Pre-kindergarten through Nine...
(where his mother taught art) and enrolled in the Brooks School
Brooks School
Brooks School is a private, co-educational, preparatory, secondary school in North Andover, Massachusetts on the shores of Lake Cochichewick.-History:...
(where his father taught) for one year in North Andover, Massachusetts
North Andover, Massachusetts
North Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. North Andover is the home of Merrimack College, a private, Catholic four-year institution ....
. Spader later transferred to Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
, but dropped out of school in the eleventh grade to pursue acting at the Michael Chekhov
Michael Chekhov
Michael Chekhov was a Russian-American actor, director, author, and theatre practitioner. His acting technique has been used by actors such as Clint Eastwood, Marilyn Monroe, Yul Brynner, and Robert Stack. Constantin Stanislavski referred to him as his most brilliant student...
School in New York City. Before becoming a full-time actor, Spader held a variety of jobs including being a yoga instructor, busboy, truck driver, stable boy, and railroad-car loader.
Career
Spader's first major movie role was in 1981 as Brooke ShieldsBrooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
' brother in Endless Love
Endless Love (film)
Endless Love is a 1981 romantic drama film directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt. The screenplay by Judith Rascoe was adapted from the novel by Scott Spencer...
, and his first starring role was in Tuff Turf
Tuff Turf
Tuff Turf is a 1985 American drama film starring James Spader and Kim Richards. The film was released in the United States on January 11, 1985.-Plot:...
alongside good friend Robert Downey, Jr.. But he did not rise to stardom until 1986, when he played Molly Ringwald
Molly Ringwald
Molly Kathleen Ringwald is an American actress, singer and dancer. Having appeared in the John Hughes movies Sixteen Candles , The Breakfast Club , and Pretty in Pink , Ringwald has been frequently named the greatest teen star of all time...
's foil Steff in Pretty in Pink
Pretty in Pink
Pretty in Pink is a 1986 American teen romantic comedy-drama film about teenage love and social cliques in 1980s American high schools. It is one of a group of John Hughes films starring Molly Ringwald, and is commonly identified as a "Brat Pack" film...
. He starred opposite Andrew McCarthy
Andrew McCarthy
Andrew Thomas McCarthy is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the 1980s films St. Elmo's Fire, Mannequin, Weekend at Bernie's, Pretty in Pink, and Less Than Zero, and more recently for his role in the television shows Lipstick Jungle, White Collar and Royal Pains.-Career:McCarthy...
, another friend, in Mannequin
Mannequin (1987 film)
Mannequin is a 1987 romantic comedy film, starring Andrew McCarthy, Kim Cattrall, Meshach Taylor, James Spader, G. W. Bailey, and Estelle Getty...
, and in the film adaptation of Less Than Zero
Less Than Zero (film)
Less Than Zero is a 1987 American drama film loosely based on Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name. The film stars Andrew McCarthy as Clay, a college freshman returning home for Christmas to spend time with his ex-girlfriend Blair and his friend Julian , who is also a drug addict...
, where he played a drug dealer named Rip. Supporting roles in movies such as Baby Boom
Baby Boom (film)
Baby Boom is a 1987 comedy film starring Diane Keaton. The film also launched a subsequent television show starring Kate Jackson, running from 1988 to 1989. The original music score was composed by Bill Conti and the cinematography was by William A. Fraker....
and Wall Street followed until his critical breakthrough in 1989. In sex, lies and videotape, he played a sexual voyeur named Graham who complicates the lives of three Baton Rouge residents. For this performance, he received the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. His roles in the early 1990s included playing a young, affluent widower opposite Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
in White Palace, John Cusack
John Cusack
John Paul Cusack is an American film actor and screenwriter. He has appeared in more than 50 films, including The Journey of Natty Gann, Say Anything..., Grosse Point Blank, The Thin Red Line, Stand by Me, Con Air, Being John Malkovich, High Fidelity, Serendipity, Runaway Jury, The Ice Harvest,...
's best friend in True Colors
True Colors (1991 film)
True Colors is a film written by Kevin Wade and directed by Herbert Ross. The cast included John Cusack, James Spader and Richard Widmark in his final movie role.-Plot summary:...
, and a poker-playing drifter who collides with Mandy Patinkin
Mandy Patinkin
Mandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
in The Music of Chance
The Music of Chance (film)
The Music of Chance is a 1993 American drama film directed by Philip Haas. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival...
. In 1994, he starred as Egyptologist
Egyptology
Egyptology is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century. A practitioner of the discipline is an “Egyptologist”...
Daniel Jackson in the blockbuster hit Stargate
Stargate (film)
Stargate is a 1994 American adventure-military science fiction film released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco Pictures. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise...
. He played car-accident fetishist James Ballard in the controversial Canadian film Crash
Crash (1996 film)
Crash is a 1996 Canadian/British drama thriller film written and directed by David Cronenberg based on the J. G. Ballard 1973 novel of the same name. It tells the story of a group of people who take sexual pleasure from car accidents, a notable form of paraphilia. The film generated considerable...
in 1996 and assassin Lee Woods in 2 Days in the Valley
2 Days in the Valley
2 Days in the Valley is a 1996 film, directed by John Herzfeld. The film revolves around the events over 48 hours in the lives of a group of people who are drawn together by a murder. Several parallel storylines overlap one another in the film.-Plot:...
. In 1997, Spader guest starred in an episode of Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
as an angry recovering alcoholic who refuses to apologize to George
George Costanza
George Louis Costanza is a character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Jason Alexander. He has variously been described as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man" , "Lord of the Idiots" , and as "the greatest sitcom character of all time"...
for making fun of him. In 2000, he played a drug-addicted detective tracking down serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
in The Watcher
The Watcher (film)
The Watcher is a 2000 American thriller directed by Joe Charbanic and starring James Spader, Keanu Reeves and Marisa Tomei. Set in Chicago, the film is about a retired FBI agent who is stalked and taunted by a serial killer.-Plot:...
. In 2001, he starred as Maggie Gyllenhaal
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Margaret Ruth "Maggie" Gyllenhaal born November 16, 1977) is an American actress. She is the daughter of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal and the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal. She made her screen debut when she began to appear in her father's films...
's sadistic boss in the critically acclaimed Secretary
Secretary (film)
Secretary is a 2002 independent film directed by Steven Shainberg and starring Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway and James Spader as E. Edward Grey...
.
From 2004 to 2008, Spader starred as the lead character Alan Shore in the TV series Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
, in which he reprised his role from the TV series The Practice
The Practice
The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
. Spader won the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for his portrayal of Alan Shore in 2004, on The Practice and won it again in 2005 and 2007, for Boston Legal. With the 2005 Emmy Win, Spader became one of the few actors (along with co-star William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
as Denny Crane) to win an Emmy award while playing the same character in two different series. Even rarer, Shatner and Spader each won a second consecutive Emmy while playing the same character in two different series. Spader also won the Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical for Boston Legal in 2006.
In October 2006, Spader narrated China Revealed, the first episode of Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's documentary series Discovery Atlas
Discovery Atlas
Discovery Atlas is a documentary television series on the Discovery Channel and Discovery HD Theater which focuses on the cultural, sociological, and natural aspects of various countries by exploring their different peoples, traditions, and lands. The documentary follows the lives and individual...
. Boston Legal cast mate Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
would follow him in narrating France Revealed. He has also done the voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
in several television commercials for Acura
Acura
Acura is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. The brand has been available in the United States and Canada since March 1986, marketing luxury, performance, and near-performance vehicles. It was introduced to Hong Kong in 1991, Mexico in 2004, and China in 2006...
.
Spader starred as a lead character in Race
Race (Mamet play)
Race is a play by David Mamet that premiered on Broadway on December 6, 2009.-Production:The cast included Emmy Award winner James Spader, David Alan Grier, Kerry Washington, and Richard Thomas. Mamet also directed...
, a play written and directed by David Mamet
David Mamet
David Alan Mamet is an American playwright, essayist, screenwriter and film director.Best known as a playwright, Mamet won a Pulitzer Prize and received a Tony nomination for Glengarry Glen Ross . He also received a Tony nomination for Speed-the-Plow . As a screenwriter, he received Oscar...
, alongside Richard Thomas
Richard Thomas (actor)
Richard Earl Thomas is an American actor, best known for his role as budding author John-Boy Walton in the CBS drama The Waltons.- Early life :Thomas was born Richard Earl Thomas in New York,...
, David Alan Grier
David Alan Grier
David Alan Grier , also known as "D.A.G." , is an American actor and comedian known for his work on the sketch comedy television show In Living Color.-Early life:...
and Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray , as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007...
. It opened on December 6, 2009 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 243 West 47th Street in midtown-Manhattan, named for actress Ethel Barrymore....
on Broadway. The show closed on August 21, 2010 after 297 performances.
In March 2011, Spader was named to star in By Virtue Fall, a film written and to be directed by Sheldon Turner
Sheldon Turner
Sheldon Turner is a screenwriter and producer. His produced credits as a screenwriter include The Longest Yard , The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning , Up in the Air and X-Men: First Class ....
. Also set to star in the film are Eric Bana
Eric Bana
Eric Bana is an Australian film and television actor. He began his career as a comedian in the sketch comedy series Full Frontal before gaining critical recognition in the biopic Chopper...
, Carla Gugino
Carla Gugino
Carla Gugino is an American actress known for her roles of Sally Jupiter in Watchmen, Dr. Vera Gorski in Sucker Punch, Lucille in Sin City, Amanda Daniels in seasons 3, 5 and 7 of Entourage, Ingrid Cortez in the Spy Kids film trilogy, and as the lead characters of the television series Karen Sisco...
, Ryan Phillippe
Ryan Phillippe
Matthew Ryan Phillippe , better known as Ryan Phillippe, is an American actor. After appearing on the soap opera One Life to Live, he came to fame in the late 1990s starring in a string of films, including I Know What You Did Last Summer, Cruel Intentions, and 54...
, Treat Williams
Treat Williams
Richard Treat Williams is a Screen Actors Guild Award–nominated American actor and children's book author who has appeared on film, stage and television...
and Kim Coates
Kim Coates
Kim Coates is a Canadian-American actor who has worked in both Canadian and American movies and television series. He has worked on Broadway portraying Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire and in the lead role of Macbeth performed at the Stratford Theatre...
. , the movie is in pre-production, and set to be released 2013.
Spader was one of a number of prominent guest stars in "Search Committee
Search Committee
"Search Committee" is the hour-long finale of the seventh season of the American television comedy series The Office. It is the 151st and 152nd episodes of the series overall and the 25th and 26th episodes of the seventh season. It was written by show runner and executive producer Paul Lieberstein...
," the final episode of season 7 of The Office. He portrayed a man named Robert California
Robert California
Robert California is a fictional character on The Office, played by James Spader. He has no counterpart on the original British version of the series.- Season 7 :...
. , he was in talks to become a series regular. As of 27th June 2011, Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
(an executive producer on the show) announced Spader was to join the cast on a permanent basis. It was confirmed on July 6th, 2011 that Spader would replace Kathy Bates'
Kathy Bates
Kathleen Doyle "Kathy" Bates is an American actress and director.After several small roles in film and television, Bates rose to prominence with her performance in Misery , for which she won both the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe...
character Jo Bennett
Jo Bennett
Joleen MaryAnn "Jo" Bennett is a fictional character from the US comedy television series The Office, who first appeared in Season 6. She is the CEO of Sabre, who purchased Dunder Mifflin, and is played by Kathy Bates.-Biography:...
as new CEO of Sabre Dunder-Mifflin.
Personal life
Spader met his first wife, Victoria Kheel, a decorator, while working in a yogaYoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
studio, after he moved to New York in the 1980s. They married in 1987 and have two sons, Elijah and Sebastian. Spader filed for divorce from Kheel in 2004 and, , has plans to marry his girlfriend (and his former co-star), Leslie Stefanson
Leslie Stefanson
Leslie Ann Stefanson is an American actress. She is most known for playing the title role as Capt. Elisabeth Campbell in the film The General's Daughter....
, with whom he had a child in August 2008.
Filmography
- Endless LoveEndless Love (film)Endless Love is a 1981 romantic drama film directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt. The screenplay by Judith Rascoe was adapted from the novel by Scott Spencer...
(1981) - Family Secrets (1984) (made for TV)
- The New KidsThe New Kids (film)The New Kids is a 1985 American thriller film, directed by Sean S. Cunningham and starring Shannon Presby and Lori Loughlin. The film was released on January 18, 1985, in the US by Columbia Pictures...
(1985) - Starcrossed (1985) (made for TV)
- Tuff TurfTuff TurfTuff Turf is a 1985 American drama film starring James Spader and Kim Richards. The film was released in the United States on January 11, 1985.-Plot:...
(1985) - Pretty in PinkPretty in PinkPretty in Pink is a 1986 American teen romantic comedy-drama film about teenage love and social cliques in 1980s American high schools. It is one of a group of John Hughes films starring Molly Ringwald, and is commonly identified as a "Brat Pack" film...
(1986) - Baby BoomBaby Boom (film)Baby Boom is a 1987 comedy film starring Diane Keaton. The film also launched a subsequent television show starring Kate Jackson, running from 1988 to 1989. The original music score was composed by Bill Conti and the cinematography was by William A. Fraker....
(1987) - Less Than ZeroLess Than Zero (film)Less Than Zero is a 1987 American drama film loosely based on Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name. The film stars Andrew McCarthy as Clay, a college freshman returning home for Christmas to spend time with his ex-girlfriend Blair and his friend Julian , who is also a drug addict...
(1987) - MannequinMannequin (1987 film)Mannequin is a 1987 romantic comedy film, starring Andrew McCarthy, Kim Cattrall, Meshach Taylor, James Spader, G. W. Bailey, and Estelle Getty...
(1987) - Wall Street (1987)
- Jack's BackJack's BackJack’s Back is a 1988 horror film directed and written by Rowdy Herrington and starring James Spader and Cynthia Gibb.-Plot:In Los Angeles, a young doctor is suspected when a series of Jack the Ripper copycat killings is committed...
(1988) - The Rachel PapersThe Rachel PapersThe Rachel Papers is a 1989 British film based on the novel of the same name by Martin Amis. It stars Dexter Fletcher and Ione Skye as the two main characters, and a number of famous names in supporting roles such as Jonathan Pryce, Bill Paterson, James Spader, Jared Harris, Claire Skinner, and...
(1989) - sex, lies, and videotapeSex, lies, and videotapeSex, Lies, and Videotape is a 1989 independent film that brought director Steven Soderbergh to prominence. It tells the story of a man who films women discussing their sexuality, and his impact on the relationship of a troubled married couple....
(1989) - Bad InfluenceBad Influence (film)Bad Influence is a 1990 American film starring Rob Lowe and James Spader. In this noirish film, Spader plays a yuppie who meets a mysterious stranger who encourages him to explore his darker side. Bad Influence was the first original screenplay for which David Koepp received a sole screenplay credit...
(1990) - White Palace (1990)
- True ColorsTrue Colors (1991 film)True Colors is a film written by Kevin Wade and directed by Herbert Ross. The cast included John Cusack, James Spader and Richard Widmark in his final movie role.-Plot summary:...
(1991) - Bob RobertsBob RobertsBob Roberts is a 1992 film written and directed by Tim Robbins. It is a satirical mockumentary, chronicling the rise of Bob Roberts, a conservative politician who is a candidate for an upcoming United States Senate election...
(1992) - StoryvilleStoryville (film)Storyville is a 1992 film directed by Mark Frost and starring James Spader.-Plot:Cray Fowler, a young candidate for the United States Senate is filmed with a hooker as blackmail. As he investigates, Fowler discovers some family secrets involving his father and their political careers....
(1992) - The Music of ChanceThe Music of Chance (film)The Music of Chance is a 1993 American drama film directed by Philip Haas. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival...
(1993) - Dream LoverDream Lover (1994 film)Dream Lover is a 1994 film, starring James Spader and Mädchen Amick. It was directed and written by Nicholas Kazan.-Plot:The movie opens on divorce proceedings involving Ray Reardon , a successful architect, and his first wife...
(1994) - WolfWolf (film)Wolf is a 1994 American horror film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Jim Harrison, Wesley Strick, and an uncredited Elaine May, with music by Ennio Morricone and cinematography by Giuseppe Rotunno....
(1994) - StargateStargate (film)Stargate is a 1994 American adventure-military science fiction film released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco Pictures. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise...
(1994) - 2 Days in the Valley2 Days in the Valley2 Days in the Valley is a 1996 film, directed by John Herzfeld. The film revolves around the events over 48 hours in the lives of a group of people who are drawn together by a murder. Several parallel storylines overlap one another in the film.-Plot:...
(1996) - CrashCrash (1996 film)Crash is a 1996 Canadian/British drama thriller film written and directed by David Cronenberg based on the J. G. Ballard 1973 novel of the same name. It tells the story of a group of people who take sexual pleasure from car accidents, a notable form of paraphilia. The film generated considerable...
(1996) - Keys to TulsaKeys to TulsaKeys to Tulsa is a 1997 film directed by Leslie Greif, and starring Eric Stoltz and James Spader. It is based on the novel of the same name by Bryan Fair Berkey.-Plot:The story revolves around a perpetual loser named Richter Boudreau...
(1997) - Driftwood (1997)
- Critical CareCritical Care (film)Critical Care is a 1997 film directed by Sidney Lumet. The film is a satire about American medicine. It is based on the novel by Richard Dooling and stars James Spader, Kyra Sedgwick, Anne Bancroft, Helen Mirren, Jeffrey Wright, and Albert Brooks. Rick Baker provided special makeup effects...
(1997) - Curtain CallCurtain Call (1999 film)Curtain Call is a 1999 film directed by Peter Yates. It stars James Spader and Polly Walker.-Cast:*James Spader as Stevenson Lowe*Polly Walker as Julia*Michael Caine as Max Gale*Maggie Smith as Lily Marlowe*Buck Henry as Charles Van Allsburg...
(1999) - Supernova (2000)
- Slow Burn (2000)
- The WatcherThe Watcher (film)The Watcher is a 2000 American thriller directed by Joe Charbanic and starring James Spader, Keanu Reeves and Marisa Tomei. Set in Chicago, the film is about a retired FBI agent who is stalked and taunted by a serial killer.-Plot:...
(2000) - Speaking of Sex (2001)
- The Stickup (2001)
- SecretarySecretary (film)Secretary is a 2002 independent film directed by Steven Shainberg and starring Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway and James Spader as E. Edward Grey...
(2002) - I WitnessI WitnessI Witness is an action film starring Jeff Daniels and James Spader. It was released in the United States on February 1, 2003.-Plot:Human rights activist James Rhodes arrives in Tijuana to help oversee local union elections. While there, he becomes embroiled in a mass murder at what appears to be a...
(2003) - Alien HunterAlien HunterAlien Hunter is a 2003 science-fiction-thriller film, directed by Ron Krauss and stars James Spader, Carl Lewis and Leslie Stefanson.-Plot:...
(2003) - The Pentagon Papers (2003)
- Shadow of Fear (2004)
- The PracticeThe PracticeThe Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
(2003–2004) - Boston LegalBoston LegalBoston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
(2004–2008) - Discovery Atlas: China Revealed (2006)
- ShortsShorts (film)Shorts is a 2009 family comedy/adventure film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. It was released in the United States on August 21, 2009...
(2009) - The Office (2011–)
- LincolnLincoln (2012 film)Lincoln is an upcoming 2012 biographical drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln....
(2012)