James Spader: biography, filmography, personal life and interesting facts

American actor James Spader played in his more than 35-year career in television and cinema about 4 dozens of roles. Among them there 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 the three children of Jean (nee Fraser) and Stoddard Spader. Parents were school teachers and spent a lot of time raising their son and two older daughters. As an actor likes to joke, as a child he was under extremely tough female dictatorship, from under 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.

At first the boy studied at a private school Pike, where his mother taught painting, and then - in an average school in the town of North Andover, Massachusetts, where his father worked. Later, James entered the Phillips Academy in Andover, but dropped it in grade 11 and went to New York to become an actor.

Arriving there, Spader worked for a couple of years as a barman, taught yoga, was a truck driver, unloaded the cars and served as a stableman.

Debut

The first role in the movie James Spader played at the age of 18 in the movie "Fellows on the team." The film was intended for a teenager audience and did not have much success. However, the young actor did not have to wait long for the next invitation to shoot, and in 1981, the screensaver released the picture "Infinite Love", 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 Oscar Shirley Knight, and Spader was noticed by the directors who were looking for talented newcomers for their paintings.

In 1985, the actor played in two films, including a major role in the youth drama "Wall to Wall." By the way, it was one of the first pictures that on videocassettes illegally could see the youth in the Soviet Union.

A year later he was written into sex symbols for the role of handsome playboy in the film "The Girl in the Pink". Such a role of a spoiled fugitive soon established a young actor, and for a long time he could not get rid of it.

Further career

In 1987, James Spader first played a criminal in the film "Less than zero". In it, he was offered to create on the screen the image of a drug dealer named Rip. Around the same time, the actor also appeared on the screen in the pictures "Mannequin", Baby Boom and "Wall Street". And in the last film, Hollywood stars Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen were invited to the main roles .

"Sex, lies and video"

This film marked the triumphant debut of the little-known at the time of 26-year-old Steven Soderberga. For her, the director received the "Palm Branch" at the Cannes Film Festival, and James Spader, who starred, was awarded the prize for Best Actor. The partner actor was the charming Andy McDowell, and the picture itself became cult, its box office collections were unusually large for a low-budget film.

Thus, on the threshold of the 30th anniversary, Spader could already consider himself an accomplished actor, before whom large career horizons open.

In the 1990s

The last 10 years of the twentieth century, James Spader was filming a lot. Among his most successful works of this period are the following:

• Michael Ball in the film "Bad Influence" (1990);
• Tim Geritti in the film "In the True Light" (1991);
• Bob Roberts in the Chuck Marlin (1992);
• Gray in the painting "Fowler Storyville" (1992);
• Jack Pozzi in the film "Occasion Music" (1993);
• Ray Reardon in the film "Sex, lies, madness" (1993);
• Stewart Swinton in the "Wolf" (1994);
• Dr. Daniel Jackson in the Stargate (1994);
• James Ballard in the movie "Car crash" (1996);
• Lee Woods in the film Two Days in the Valley (1996);
• Dr. Werner Ernst in "Intensive Care" (1997).

Dr. Daniel Jackson

As already mentioned, in 1995 James Spader, whose films are known in Russia, also starred in the fantastic picture "Stargate." He inherited the main role of archaeologist Dr. Daniel Jackson, who tries to solve the riddles of history and goes on the trail of the newcomers. The film became the basis for the franchise, which currently includes 2 television movies, 3 television series, cartoon series, comics, several video games, board games and other products.

"Car crash"

This film by director David Cronenberg based on the novel by James Ballard was filmed 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 resonance. She received the prize "For Courage, Courage and Originality" at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as prizes in six nominations of the Higher National Film Prize of Canada. At the same time the founder of CNN and the famous telemagnet Ted Turner declared war on her, calling it immoral.

Work on TV

In 2004, the actor received an offer to star in the television project "Lawyers of Boston", where he won the main role of lawyer Alan Shor. The show was a huge success with the American television audience. He received five Emmy awards (22 nominations in total), as well as prizes Golden Globe (4 nominations) and Peabody (2005).

Filmography of the last decade

Time is inexorable, so over the years, James Spader parted with the role of handsome. Of the most memorable of his work in recent years, one can mention participation in paintings and television projects:

• "Office" (2011);
• "The Stone of Desires" (2009);
• Lincoln (2012);
• "Black list" (2013);
• "Local" (2014);
• "The Avengers: The Age of the Altron" (2015).

James Spader: personal life

Since the mid 80's, the actor was keen on yoga. In one of the classes, he met Victoria Kil, with whom he began an affair. In 1987, Spader made a proposal to the girl, which she gladly accepted. During 17 years of marriage, the couple had 2 sons. After the divorce, James Spader stayed alone for four years until he met Leslie Stefanson. As it turned out later, their romance began in 2000, during the filming of the film "Robbery", and, perhaps, caused the divorce of James and Victoria. In 2008, Leslie bore him a son.

Now you know some details of the biography of 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.