Biography
Actor James Spader was known for playing intriguing deviants in a number of acclaimed independent films in the 1980s and 1990s before his magic touch with morally ambiguous outsiders found its way to television on "Boston Legal" (ABC, 2004-08). Spader began his career playing a series of unsympathetic yuppie types in the era of the shamelessly wealthy, then put films like "Wall Street" (1987) and "Less Than Zero" (1987) behind him in favor of …
James Spader SlideShow
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Career Milestones
| Moved to NYC and performed in stage productions with the Actors Studio | ||
1981 | First major film role, playing Brooke Shields' brother in "Endless Love" | |
1983 | Appeared in the TV-movie, "Cocaine: One Man's Seduction" (NBC) | |
1983 | TV acting debut, playing Fenwick (role originated by Kevin Bacon in the feature) on the unsold CBS pilot "Diner" | |
1985 | Acted in the feature "Tuff Turf" | |
1986 | Played Blane's (Andrew McCarthy) rakish friend Steff in "Pretty in Pink"; scripted by John Hughes | |
1987 | Played a loathsome drug dealer named Rip in "Less Than Zero," based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis | |
1989 | Breakthrough film role, played a sexual voyeur in Steven Soderbergh's "sex, lies, and videotape" | |
1990 | Played a young, affluent widower opposite Susan Sarandon in "White Palace" | |
1991 | Played John Cusack's moral best friend in "True Colors" | |
1992 | Played the lead role in Mark Frost's "Storyville" | |
1993 | Had a memorable role as a hot-headed young gambler in Phillip Haas' "The Music of Chance" | |
1994 | Cast as Egyptologist Daniel Jackson in the blockbuster hit "Stargate" | |
1994 | Featured as Jack Nicholson's friend turned enemy in Mike Nichols' "Wolf" | |
1996 | Cast as assassin Lee Woods in the ensemble feature "2 Days in the Valley" | |
1996 | Played car fetishist James Ballard in David Cronenberg's controversial "Crash" | |
1997 | Portrayed an unethical resident physician in Sidney Lumet's "Critical Care" | |
2000 | Appeared with Keanu Reeves in "The Watcher," playing a former FBI agent who returns to search for a serial killer | |
2000 | Appeared with Minnie Driver and Josh Brolin in "Slow Burn" (filmed 1998) | |
2000 | Featured in "Supernova"; director Walter Hill took his name off the troubled project (was credited as Thomas Lee) | |
2002 | Starred as Maggie Gyllenhaal's sadomasochistic boss in the critically acclaimed "Secretary" | |
2003 | Joined the cast of "The Practice" (ABC) as attorney Alan Shore | |
2004 | Reprised role of attorney Alan Shore for "The Practice" spinoff "Boston Legal" (ABC); received Golden Globe (2005) and SAG (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) and Emmy (2008) nominations for Actor in a Drama Series | |
2006 | Narrated "China Revealed," the first episode of Discovery Channel's documentary series "Discovery Atlas" | |
2009 | Made Broadway debut in David Mamet's "Race" at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre | |
2011 | After much speculation as to who would replace Steve Carell, joined cast of "The Office" (NBC) as series regular, reprising his role of Robert California; announced he was leaving the show in 2012 | |
2011 | Guest-starred as Robert California on the final episode of season 7 of "The Office" (NBC) | |
2012 | Played political operative W.N. Bilbo opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" | |
Awards
1989 | Cannes Film Festival for Best Actor in Sex, Lies, and Videotape |
1990 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead in Sex, Lies, and Videotape |
2004 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Boston Legal |
2004 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in The Practice |
2005 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Boston Legal |
2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series in Boston Legal |
2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in Boston Legal |
2007 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Boston Legal |
2007 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series in Boston Legal |
2007 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Boston Legal |
2008 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Boston Legal |
2008 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series in Boston Legal |
2008 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Boston Legal |
2009 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series in Boston Legal |
2009 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Boston Legal |
2011 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in The Office |
2012 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Lincoln |