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James Spader

James Spader

Actor · Born February 7, 1960 (66) · Boston, Massachusetts, USA

3 Primetime Emmys · Golden Globe nominee · Screen Actors Guild Award nominee · 2 other major award bodies

James Todd Spader (/ˈspeɪdər/ SPAY-dər; born February 7, 1960) is an American actor. He is known for often portraying eccentric and morally ambiguous characters. He began his career in critically acclaimed independent films before transitioning into television, where he has received acclaim and many awards, including three Primetime Emmy Awards and nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, and ten Screen Actors Guild Awards. Spader began acting in youth-oriented films such as Tuff Turf, The New Kids (both 1985), Pretty in Pink (1986), and Mannequin (1987). His breakthrough role came with the Steven Soderbergh drama Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989), for which he received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor. He then starred in films such as White Palace (1990), True Colors (1991), Stargate (1994), 2 Days in the Valley (1996), and Secretary (2002). Spader took supporting roles in Bob Roberts (1992), Wolf (1994), Lincoln (2012), and The Homesman (2014). He also played the role of Ultron in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). His television roles include the attorney Alan Shore in the last season of The Practice (2003–2004) and its spin-off Boston Legal (2004–2008), which earned him three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He portrayed Robert California in the sitcom The Office (2011–2012). He then starred as Raymond Reddington in the NBC crime thriller series The Blacklist (2013–2023), for which he received two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actor – Television Series Drama. Description above from the Wikipedia article James Spader, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 7, 1960 (66)
From
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
49 on MovieCove · 60 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 1% in 30 days

What are James Spader's films like?

Across their 41 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Thriller2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 16th percentile
: browse their Thriller movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
26%
Bonds
24%
Self
22%
Power
10%
Survival
9%
Ideas
6%
Society
3%
Romantic love8 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity10 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal6 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 38 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 7 · Serious 13 · Dark 18

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 20 · Stylized 14 · Heightened 4

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 21 · Intense 11

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 13 · Shifting 20 · Whiplash 5

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 26 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 17 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 14 · Engaged 18 · Full focus 6

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 9 · Affecting 19 · Heavy 10

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 22 · Open-ended 13 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

42 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 13 of 42 analyzed roles.

Hero
13 of 42
Shadow
12 of 42
Trickster
6 of 42
Shapeshifter
4 of 42
Mentor
3 of 42
Herald
2 of 42
Threshold guardian
1 of 42
Ally
1 of 42
Show the 42 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
33
Melancholic
18
Romantic
10
Dread
11
Contemplative
12
Other
34

How their films linger

Thought-provoking12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 9 with a twist

  • Happy8
  • Bittersweet20
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous10

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch James Spader's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 33 of their 49 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (17).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Spader's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

60 credits, 49 with a MovieCove page; 13 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • VisionQuest(2026)

    Show 8 episodes · as Ultron

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Avengers: Age of Ultron(2015)

    as Ultron (voice)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Homesman(2014)

    as Aloysius Duffy

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Blacklist(2013)

    Show 218 episodes · Co-Executive Producer · Executive Producer · as Raymond 'Red' Reddington

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Frame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as James Ballard

  • Lincoln(2012)

    as W.N. Bilbo

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen(2012)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Shorts(2009)

    as Carbon Black

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Discovery Atlas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 11 episodes · Actor

  • Discovery Atlas: China Revealed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • The Office(2005)

    Show 25 episodes · as Robert California

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Boston Legal(2004)

    Show 101 episodes · as Alan Shore

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Shadow of Fear(2004)

    as William Ashbury

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Alien Hunter(2003)

    as Julian Rome

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • I Witness(2003)

    as Douglas Draper

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Pentagon Papers(2003)

    as Daniel Ellsberg

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Secretary(2002)

    as Mr. Grey

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Stickup (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as John Parker

  • Speaking of Sex(2001)

    as Dr. Roger Klink

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Slow Burn(2000)

    as Marcus

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Watcher(2000)

    as FBI Special Agent Joel Campbell

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Supernova(2000)

    as Nick Vanzant

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • It All Came True(1998)

    as Stevenson Lowe

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Critical Care(1997)

    as Dr. Werner Ernst

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Keys to Tulsa(1997)

    as Ronnie Stover

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Practice(1997)

    Show 22 episodes · as Alan Shore

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Driftwood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as The Man

  • 2 Days in the Valley(1996)

    as Lee Woods

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Crash(1996)

    as James Ballard

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Stargate(1994)

    as Dr. Daniel Jackson

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Wolf(1994)

    as Stewart Swinton

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Dream Lover(1994)

    as Ray Reardon

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Frasier(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Steven (voice)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Music of Chance(1993)

    as Jack Pozzi

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Bob Roberts(1992)

    as Chuck Marlin

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Storyville (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Cray Fowler

  • True Colors(1991)

    as Tim Gerrity

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • White Palace(1990)

    as Max Baron

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Bad Influence(1990)

    as Michael Boll

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Sex, Lies, and Videotape(1989)

    as Graham Dalton

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Seinfeld(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Jason 'Stanky' Hanky

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Rachel Papers(1989)

    as Deforest

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Live with Kelly and Mark(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all shows

  • Jack's Back(1988)

    as John Allen Wesford / Richard Wesford

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Greasy Lake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Digby

  • Wall Street(1987)

    as Roger Barnes

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Less Than Zero(1987)

    as Rip

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Baby Boom(1987)

    as Ken Arrenberg

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Mannequin(1987)

    as Mr. Richards

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Pretty in Pink(1986)

    as Steff McKee

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Starcrossed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Joey Callaghan

  • The New Kids(1985)

    as Eddie Dutra

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Tuff Turf(1985)

    as Morgan Hiller

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Family Secrets(1984)

    as Lowell Everall

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • A Killer in the Family(1983)

    as Donny Tison

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Diner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Fenwick

  • Cocaine: One Man's Seduction(1983)

    as Buddy Gant

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Family Tree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 6 episodes · Actor

  • Endless Love(1981)

    as Keith

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Team-Mates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Jimmy

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 60 titles from 1978 to 2026; peak year 1995.

Biggest box office

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

$1.4B worldwide

Highest rated

Boston Legal (2004)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

VisionQuest (2026)

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
19782026

Peak 1995 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 27 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 4 more milestones

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting60 of 60: 59 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score59thProducing1 of 60: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1970s1 · acting1980s20 · acting1990s17 · acting2000s15 · acting2010s6 · 6 acting · 1 crew2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 43% of 37 roles
81919601

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

3 Primetime Emmys and 1 other major award from 19 major nominations, 1989–2015.

WinNomination
  1. 2015
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
  2. 2014
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
  3. 2013
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
  4. 2012
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  5. 2009
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  6. 2008
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  7. 2007
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  8. 2006
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Show 4 earlier years
  1. 2005
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
  2. 2004
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
  3. 1990
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Male Lead
  4. 1989
    • Cannes award, won

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do James Spader's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 41; across their 38 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 38

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 38

Reach · how many have seen their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 38

Midcredits score across 49 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up16
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th9

Shape of the crowd

22 of their 49 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser22
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed14

Most divisive · actor

Family Secrets (1984)

71st percentile spread · 20% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Office (2005)

Midcredits 99th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the acting 73/100 in their films, across 38 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is James Spader's work okay for kids?

Across up to 26 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore25 titles25–78 · median 56 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity26 titles23–68 · median 44 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity25 titles36–78 · median 56 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs21 titles30–63 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense23 titles21–73 · median 53 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does James Spader work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Spader's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Eric Stoltz shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers