James Spader: The Life Story Behind the Blacklist Star

James Spader is an actor who has never tried to be liked, and that is exactly why audiences love him. He plays men who are strange, clever, charming, and a little bit dangerous, men who say the things that other people are afraid to say, and who do the things that other people are afraid to do. He was the rich and cruel boy in Pretty in Pink, the quiet man with a camera in sex, lies, and videotape, the eccentric lawyer in Boston Legal, and the criminal mastermind in The Blacklist, and in each of those roles, he made the character feel real, even when the character was doing terrible things.

He was born in Boston, the son of two teachers, and he grew up in a world of books, ideas, and quiet conversations. He left school early, he moved to New York, and he worked in odd jobs while he tried to become an actor. He did not become famous quickly. He worked for years in small roles, learning his craft, before he found the roles that made him a star. That slow start gave him a depth and a patience that many young stars never learn, and it shows in his work, which is careful, precise, and full of small details that make a character come alive.

This is the story of that life, from a childhood in Boston, through the early years in New York, through the breakthrough in Cannes, through the long run on television, and into a later life as one of the most respected actors of his generation. It is a story about a man who plays difficult characters, who lives a private life, and who has built a career by being himself, even when himself is strange, funny, and a little bit unsettling.

Growing Up in Boston, the Son of Teachers

James Todd Spader was born on 7 February 1960 in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Jean, a teacher, and Stoddard Spader, a teacher and school administrator. Both of his parents worked in education, and he grew up in a home where books, ideas, and learning were valued above all else. His father was a headmaster at a private school, and his mother taught as well, and James spent his childhood in schools, in libraries, and in conversations about books and ideas. That upbringing gave him a love of language, a sharp mind, and a curiosity about people that would serve him well as an actor.

He went to school in Massachusetts, at the Pike School and later at Phillips Academy in Andover, a well-known boarding school. He was a bright student, but he was also restless, and he did not always fit into the orderly world of school. He liked to read, he liked to think, and he liked to perform, but he did not like rules, and he did not like being told what to do. He left Phillips Academy before finishing, and he moved to New York City when he was seventeen years old, to try to become an actor. That decision took courage, because it meant leaving a comfortable home and a good school, and starting over in a big and difficult city with very little money.

In New York, he worked in a series of odd jobs while he went to auditions and took acting classes. He worked as a yoga instructor, as a truck driver, as a stable hand, and in other jobs that paid the bills while he tried to make it as an actor. Those jobs taught him a great deal about ordinary people, about how they live and work, and about the small details of daily life. He also learned how to be patient, how to wait for a chance, and how to keep going when the work was hard and the pay was low. That patience would become one of his greatest strengths as an actor.

He studied acting at the Michael Chekhov Studio in New York, where he learned a method of acting that focuses on the body, on movement, and on the imagination. He learned how to build a character from the inside out, how to find the truth in a scene, and how to work with other actors in a way that felt real. He was not a loud or flashy student. He was quiet, thoughtful, and intense, and he paid attention to the small details that other actors missed. That intensity became his trademark, and it would make him stand out in a world full of loud young actors.

By the time he was twenty, he was already working in films, in small roles that gave him a chance to learn how a set worked. He appeared in Endless Love in 1981, playing the brother of the heroine, in a film about young love that became a popular hit. It was a small role, but it gave him his first taste of professional acting, and it showed directors that he could be natural and believable on screen. He was on his way, and the next few years would bring him bigger roles and a growing reputation as a serious young actor.

Endless Love, Pretty in Pink, and the Rich Villain

James Spader’s first film role came in 1981, in Endless Love, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, in which he played Keith Butterfield, the brother of the heroine, Jade, played by Brooke Shields. The film was about a young couple whose love is so intense that it leads to tragedy, and it was a popular hit, even though critics did not love it. James played Keith as a quiet and thoughtful young man, and he did it well, even in a small role. It was his first step into film, and it taught him how a large production worked, how to work with a famous director, and how to handle the pressure of a big film.

In 1986, he appeared in Pretty in Pink, directed by Howard Deutch and written by John Hughes, playing Steff McKee, a rich and cruel high school boy who mocks Andie Walsh, played by Molly Ringwald, because she is poor. Steff was the villain of the film, a boy who is handsome, rich, and completely without kindness, and James played him with a cold and charming cruelty that made audiences hate him. It was a brave choice, because it meant playing a character who was deeply unlikeable, and doing it so well that people would remember him for it. He did, and Steff remains one of his most famous early roles.

Pretty in Pink was a huge success, and it made James known to audiences around the world, but it also gave him a label. He was now the rich villain, the cruel boy, the one who played the bad guy with a smile. He did not mind the label at first, because it had made him famous, but he also knew that he wanted to do more. He wanted to play characters who were complex, who had depth, and who were not only villains. That desire would lead him to some of his best work in the years that followed, in films that were darker and more serious than Pretty in Pink.

He also appeared in films such as Mannequin in 1987, playing a supporting role, and Less Than Zero in 1987, a drama about young people in Los Angeles, in which he played Rip, a drug dealer. Those roles were also dark and difficult, and they showed that James was not afraid to play men who were troubled, selfish, or dangerous. He was building a career based on playing characters who were not easy to like, but who were interesting to watch, and that was a brave choice for a young actor in Hollywood, where most actors want to be loved by the audience.

By the end of the 1980s, James Spader was a known actor, with a growing list of credits in film, but he was not yet a star. He had played the villain in Pretty in Pink, he had played a drug dealer in Less Than Zero, and he had shown that he could be intense and believable, but he had not yet found the role that would make him a leading man. That role would come in 1989, in a small independent film that would change his life and win him an award at Cannes.

Sex, Lies, and Videotape and the Cannes Award

In 1989, James Spader starred in sex, lies, and videotape, a small independent film directed by Steven Soderbergh, playing Graham Dalton, a quiet and strange young man who films women talking about their sex lives. The film was about marriage, about honesty, and about the secrets that people keep from each other, and James played Graham as a man who is gentle, thoughtful, and deeply odd, a man who listens more than he speaks, and who understands people better than they understand themselves. It was a very different kind of role from Steff in Pretty in Pink, and it showed that James could be soft, vulnerable, and human.

The film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in France, one of the most important film festivals in the world, and it won the Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest prize. James won the award for Best Actor at Cannes for his performance as Graham, and that award changed his career. He was no longer a supporting actor or a villain. He was a leading man, recognised by one of the most respected festivals in the world, and directors began to think of him for serious and complex roles. He was twenty-nine years old, and he had finally found the role that proved what he could do.

Sex, lies, and videotape was a small film, made on a low budget, with a cast of only four main actors, but it became a huge success, both with critics and with audiences. It was praised for its honesty about marriage, about sex, and about the lies that people tell each other, and James’s performance was at its centre. He played Graham with a stillness that made the audience lean in and listen, and he made a strange character feel real and sympathetic. That is a difficult thing to do, and it shows how talented he is.

After Cannes, he continued to work in films, taking on roles that were varied and interesting. He appeared in White Palace in 1990, a romance about a young man who falls in love with an older woman, played by Susan Sarandon, and he appeared in True Colors in 1991, a drama about politics and friendship. He was working steadily, and he was building a career as a serious actor, not only as a villain or a supporting player. He was choosing roles that interested him, even when they were not the biggest or most commercial films, and that choice showed a man who cared about his craft more than about fame.

By the early 1990s, James Spader was a respected actor, with a Cannes award, a growing list of serious films, and a reputation for being intense, thoughtful, and a little bit strange. He was not a typical Hollywood star. He was a quiet and private man, who lived away from the spotlight, and who chose his roles carefully. That quietness would become a central part of who he is, and it would shape the rest of his career in important ways.

Stargate, Secretary, and the 1990s Films

In the 1990s, James Spader continued to work in a wide range of films, from science fiction to drama to dark comedy. In 1994, he starred in Stargate, a science fiction film about a portal to another world, playing Dr. Daniel Jackson, an archaeologist who discovers how to open the Stargate and who travels to a distant planet. The film was a huge commercial success, and it led to a long-running television series, although James did not appear in the series. His role as Daniel Jackson showed that he could carry a big action film, and that he could play a hero who was smart, curious, and brave, rather than only a villain.

He also appeared in Crash in 1996, a controversial film directed by David Cronenberg, about people who are obsessed with car crashes, playing James Ballard, a film producer who becomes involved in a strange and dangerous world. The film was dark, disturbing, and not for everyone, but it showed that James was willing to take risks, to play characters who were difficult and unsettling, and to work with directors who were not afraid to be controversial. He did not choose safe roles. He chose interesting ones, even when they were strange.

In 2002, he starred in Secretary, a film about a young woman who becomes the secretary of a lawyer, played by James, and who enters into a complex and unusual relationship with him. The film was small, funny, and deeply human, and James played Mr. Grey as a man who is shy, awkward, and kind underneath a formal exterior. His performance was praised by critics, and the film became a cult favourite, showing that James could be funny, tender, and strange all at the same time. It remains one of his best films, and it is a reminder that he is capable of great work when he is given the right role.

During those years, he also appeared in films such as Wolf in 1994, playing a supporting role, and 2 Days in the Valley in 1996, a crime film. He was working steadily, but he was not always in the biggest films, and he was often in smaller, more interesting ones. That was a choice, because he valued the work more than the fame, and he was willing to take a smaller role in a good film rather than a big role in a bad one. That patience and that taste would serve him well in the years that followed, when television would give him some of his best roles.

By the end of the 1990s, James Spader was a respected and busy actor, with a Cannes award, a science fiction hit, and a growing list of serious films. He was not a typical Hollywood star, but he was a serious artist, and he was known for his intensity, his intelligence, and his willingness to take risks. He was about to enter the most successful period of his career, on television, where he would play two of the most famous characters of his life.

Boston Legal, The Office, and Television Stardom

In 2003, James Spader joined the cast of The Practice, a television drama about a law firm in Boston, playing Alan Shore, a brilliant, eccentric, and morally flexible lawyer who is willing to do almost anything to win a case. The role was perfect for him, because Alan Shore was clever, funny, and a little bit dangerous, just like James himself. He played Alan with a charm and a wit that made audiences love him, even when he was doing terrible things. The character was so popular that he was given his own spin-off show, Boston Legal, which ran from 2004 to 2008.

Boston Legal became one of the most popular television dramas of its time, and James won three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his work as Alan Shore, in 2004, 2005, and 2007. He was the first actor to win an Emmy for playing the same character on two different shows, The Practice and Boston Legal, and that is a remarkable achievement. He played Alan as a man who is brilliant, funny, and deeply flawed, a lawyer who believes in justice but who is willing to break the rules to achieve it. Audiences loved him, and critics praised him, and he became a television star in his forties, a rare and remarkable achievement.

After Boston Legal, he joined the cast of The Office in 2011, playing Robert California, a strange and intimidating businessman who becomes the CEO of the company. The role was very different from Alan Shore, because Robert California was darker, more mysterious, and more unsettling, but James played him with the same intensity and humour that had made Alan Shore famous. He was a regular on the show for one season, from 2011 to 2012, and his work was praised, even though the show was going through a difficult period after the departure of Steve Carell.

Television gave James a steady job, a regular schedule, and a chance to build a character over many episodes, something that film does not allow. He learned how to work on a television set, how to handle a long-running show, and how to keep a character fresh for years. He also learned how to be part of a team, working with a large and talented cast, and how to trust writers and directors to guide his work. That experience made him a better actor, and it gave him a new kind of fame, as a television star rather than only as a film star.

By the early 2010s, James Spader was one of the most respected actors on television, with three Emmy Awards, a Cannes award, and a long list of film credits. He was in his fifties, and he was at the peak of his career, but he was about to take on the role that would define the next decade of his life, as a criminal mastermind in a show that would run for ten seasons.

The Blacklist and Raymond Reddington

In 2013, James Spader began to star in The Blacklist, a television drama about Raymond Reddington, a former government agent who becomes one of the most wanted criminals in the world, and who then surrenders to the FBI and offers to help them catch other criminals, in exchange for working with a young profiler, Elizabeth Keen, played by Megan Boone. James played Reddington, known as Red, as a man who is brilliant, charming, funny, and deeply dangerous, a criminal who knows everything, who has a story for every occasion, and who is always one step ahead of everyone else. The role was perfect for him, because Red was everything that James does best, clever, strange, and completely unforgettable.

The Blacklist ran from 2013 to 2023, for ten seasons, and it became one of the most popular dramas on television. James was the star of the show, and he was in almost every episode, carrying the series with his performance as Red. He played Red with a hat, a suit, and a calm and confident manner, telling stories, making jokes, and outsmarting everyone around him. Audiences loved him, and the show became a hit around the world, with fans who followed Red’s story for a decade. James was nominated for Golden Globe Awards for his work, and he became known to a whole new generation of viewers as Red Reddington.

His work on The Blacklist was demanding, because the show was filmed for ten years, with long hours, complex scripts, and a large cast. James learned his lines, he worked with many different directors and writers, and he kept Red fresh and interesting for a decade, which is a remarkable achievement for any actor. He did not get bored, and he did not let the character become stale. He kept finding new sides to Red, new stories to tell, and new ways to surprise the audience. That is a sign of a great actor, one who can sustain a character for ten years without losing the spark that made him interesting in the first place.

The show also gave him a steady home, a regular job, and a chance to work in New York, where he lives. He has said that he enjoyed the work, that he liked the cast and crew, and that he was proud of what they achieved together. The Blacklist was not only a job. It was a decade of his life, and it became a central part of who he is as an actor. When the show ended in 2023, after ten seasons, it was the end of an era, both for James and for the audience who had followed Red for so long.

Today, James Spader is still working, still acting, and still telling stories. He has done voice work, including playing Ultron, the villain in Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015, and he has appeared in films and television shows. He is in his sixties, and he has been an actor for more than forty years. He is not the young villain from Pretty in Pink anymore, but he is still the same intense and talented actor who played him, and he still brings that intensity to every role he takes.

A Private Life, Family, and Staying Out of the Spotlight

James Spader lives a very private life, away from the centre of Hollywood, and he does not seek attention. He lives in New York, he does not go to many parties, and he does not use social media in a big way. He prefers to work, to spend time with his family, and to live a quiet life. That privacy is a big part of who he is, and it is very different from the loud and public lives of many famous actors. He has said that he values his privacy, and that he does not want his personal life to be part of his public image. That is a rare and admirable quality in Hollywood.

He was married to Victoria Kheel, a set decorator, from 1987 to 2004, and they had two sons together, Sebastian and Elijah. After their divorce, he began a relationship with Leslie Stefanson, an actress, and they had a son, Nathaneal, born in 2008. He has spoken about being a father, and about how important it is to him to be present for his children, to listen to them, and to give them a normal life, even though their father is famous. He has tried to keep his children out of the public eye as much as possible, and he has tried to raise them with the same values he learned as a child, about books, about hard work, and about kindness.

He is known for his love of cooking, and he has said that he enjoys spending time in the kitchen, making meals for his family and friends. He is also known for his love of reading, and for his sharp and funny sense of humour in interviews, where he is often witty, thoughtful, and a little bit strange. He does not take himself too seriously, and he is willing to laugh at himself, even when he is talking about serious subjects. That humour is a big part of who he is, and it makes him a pleasure to listen to in interviews.

His private life is not perfect, because no private life is perfect, but it is steady and real. He has been through a divorce, he has raised three sons, and he has built a life that is grounded in family, in work, and in a love of the ordinary things, like cooking, reading, and spending time at home. That is a very different life from the one he plays on screen, as a criminal mastermind or a eccentric lawyer, and that difference is important. On screen, he is strange and dangerous. In real life, he is a father, a partner, and a man who values his privacy and his family above all else.

In the end, James Spader’s private life is the most important part of his story now. He was famous very young, and he could have spent the rest of his life chasing fame. Instead, he built a family, he built a long and respected career, and he found a way to live that felt true to who he is. The boy from Boston, the son of two teachers, has become a man with a long and meaningful career, and that is a story worth telling.

My Take:

When I think about James Spader, I think about a man who is not afraid to be strange, and that is a rare and valuable thing. Most actors want to be liked, and they choose roles that make the audience love them. James does the opposite. He chooses roles that make the audience uncomfortable, that make them laugh and then feel guilty for laughing, and that make them think about why they are drawn to a character who is doing terrible things. I admire that, because it takes courage to be unlikeable on screen, and it takes talent to make an unlikeable character interesting. James does both, and he does it better than almost anyone else working today.

I also think about his performance in sex, lies, and videotape, because it is one of the best performances I have ever seen in a film. He plays Graham Dalton, a quiet man who films women talking about their sex lives, and he plays him with a stillness that makes the audience lean in and listen. He does not shout, he does not demand attention, and he does not try to be charming. He simply listens, and that listening is more powerful than any speech. I think that is a remarkable skill, to be interesting by being quiet, and James has it in a way that few actors do. He won an award at Cannes for that role, and he deserved it, because it showed what he could do when he was given a real character to play.

What I find most interesting in his story is the way he has moved between film and television, and how he has succeeded in both. He was a film actor in the 1980s and 1990s, he became a television star in the 2000s with Boston Legal, and he became a television icon in the 2010s with The Blacklist. Most actors succeed in one medium and fail in the other, but James has succeeded in both, and he has done it by being himself, by playing characters who are clever, strange, and a little bit dangerous, in whatever medium he is working in. That is a sign of a great actor, one who can adapt to any format and still be interesting.

I think about Alan Shore, because he is one of my favourite television characters, and James played him perfectly. Alan is a lawyer who is brilliant, funny, and morally flexible, a man who will do almost anything to win a case, but who also believes in justice in his own strange way. James played him with a wit and a charm that made audiences love him, even when he was doing terrible things. He won three Emmy Awards for that role, and he deserved each one, because he made Alan feel real, even when the character was doing something outrageous. That is a difficult balance to strike, and James struck it perfectly for five years.

I also think about Raymond Reddington, because he is a character that James played for ten years, and that is a very long time to play one person. Red is a criminal mastermind, a man who knows everything, who has a story for every occasion, and who is always one step ahead. James played him with a hat, a suit, and a calm confidence that made the audience trust him, even when they knew they should not. I think that is a remarkable achievement, to keep a character fresh and interesting for ten seasons, without getting bored or letting the character become stale. It shows a great deal of patience, talent, and hard work, and I respect James for it.

What I learn from his life is that being strange is not a weakness. James is a strange actor, in the best sense of the word. He plays strange characters, he has a strange sense of humour, and he lives a strange and private life, away from the spotlight. That strangeness has served him well, because it has made him stand out in a world full of actors who all look and sound the same. He is different, and he has used that difference to build a career that is long, varied, and respected. That is a hopeful message for anyone who feels different, or who feels that they do not fit in. Being different can be a strength, if you are willing to own it and to use it.

I also notice how private he is, and I think that is a strength. In a world where famous people share everything, James shares very little. He does not use social media, he does not go to parties, and he does not try to be famous for being famous. He lets his work speak for itself, and that is a quiet and dignified way to live. I respect that, because it shows that he values his privacy and his family more than he values fame. That is a rare quality in Hollywood, and it is one that I admire.

If I have a criticism, it is that I wish he had been given more film roles in the 2000s, because I think he could have done much more in film than the roles he was offered. He is a talented film actor, and he could have played complex and difficult characters, but Hollywood began to see him as a television actor, and it did not give him the same chances in film. That is not his fault, but it is a loss for the audience, because we missed out on seeing what he could do on the big screen. I am glad that he found success on television, but I still wonder what might have happened if he had been given the right film roles at the right time.

I also think about his early work as Steff in Pretty in Pink, and about how brave it was to play a villain so well. Steff is a cruel and selfish boy, and James played him with a coldness that made audiences hate him. That is a hard thing to do as a young actor, because it means that people will remember you as the villain, and they may not want to see you as anything else. James took that risk, and he did it well, and he spent the next forty years proving that he could play many other kinds of characters, from a quiet man in sex, lies, and videotape to a criminal mastermind in The Blacklist. That is a long journey, and it shows a man who is not afraid to be hated, as long as he is honest in his work.

In the end, I think James Spader teaches us that a good actor does not have to be liked. He has to be interesting, he has to be honest, and he has to be willing to take risks. James has done all three, for more than forty years, and he has built a career that is respected by critics, loved by audiences, and envied by other actors. He is not a typical Hollywood star, but he is a great actor, and that is more important than being a star. I do not want to be an actor, but I do want to be brave enough to be myself, even when myself is strange, and James Spader has shown me that it is possible to do that and to succeed.

One more thought stays with me, and it is about his voice. James has a distinctive voice, low, calm, and a little bit unsettling, and he uses it like an instrument. He pauses, he whispers, he raises his voice at just the right moment, and he makes the audience listen. I think that voice is one of his greatest tools, and it is why he is so good on television, where the camera is close and the audience can hear every small change in tone. He understands that acting is not only about what you say. It is about how you say it, and he says it better than almost anyone else.

I also think about his work as Ultron, the villain in Avengers: Age of Ultron, because it shows that he can be terrifying even when you cannot see his face. He voiced a robot who wants to destroy the world, and he made that robot feel human, funny, and frightening all at the same time. That is a remarkable achievement, because voice work is hard, and it requires an actor to convey emotion with only their voice. James did it well, and he made Ultron one of the most memorable villains in the Marvel films, even though he was only a voice. That shows how talented he is, and how much he can do with very little.

Finally, I think his story reminds me that a slow start is not a bad start. James did not become famous quickly. He worked in odd jobs, he took small roles, and he learned his craft slowly, over many years, before he found the roles that made him a star. That slow start gave him a depth and a patience that many young stars never learn, and it shows in his work, which is careful, precise, and full of small details. I think that is a hopeful message for anyone who feels that they are starting late, or that they are not as fast as others. You do not have to be fast. You have to be good, and you have to keep going, and James Spader has proved that a slow and steady career can be a great one.

I also think about his early odd jobs, because they tell us a great deal about who he is. He worked as a yoga instructor, as a truck driver, and as a stable hand, while trying to become an actor in New York, and those jobs taught him about ordinary people, about how they live and work, and about the small details of daily life. He did not grow up rich, and he did not become famous quickly. He worked, he waited, and he learned, and that patience shows in his acting, which is careful, precise, and full of small details that make a character come alive. I think that is a valuable lesson, that ordinary work can teach an actor more than any acting class.

Another thing I notice is how he has used his voice as an instrument. He pauses, he whispers, he raises his voice at just the right moment, and he makes the audience listen to every word. That is especially clear in The Blacklist, where Red tells long stories, and the audience hangs on every detail, not because the stories are always true, but because James tells them so well. I think that is a remarkable skill, to hold an audience with only your voice, and it is one of the reasons he has lasted so long on television, where the camera is close and the audience can hear every small change in tone.

I also think about his work in Secretary, because it is a film that many people have not seen, but it is one of his best. He played Mr. Grey, a shy and awkward lawyer who enters into a complex relationship with his secretary, and he played him with a tenderness and a humour that made the film work. That is a very different role from Red or Alan Shore, and it shows that James can be soft, vulnerable, and human, as well as clever and dangerous. I wish more people knew about that film, because it proves that he is capable of great work in small, quiet films, not only in big television dramas.

Finally, I think his story reminds me that a slow start can lead to a long career. James did not become famous at nineteen. He worked in odd jobs, he took small roles, and he learned his craft slowly, over many years, before he found the roles that made him a star. That slow start gave him a depth and a patience that many young stars never learn, and it shows in his work today, in his sixties, where he is still acting, still learning, and still taking on new challenges. I think that is a hopeful message for anyone who feels that they are starting late. You do not have to be fast. You have to be good, and you have to keep going.

Frequently Asked Questions

What role won James Spader an award at the Cannes Film Festival?

He won the Best Actor award at Cannes in 1989 for sex, lies, and videotape, in which he played Graham Dalton, a quiet man who films women talking about their sex lives. The film also won the Palme d’Or for director Steven Soderbergh.

Who did James Spader play in Pretty in Pink?

He played Steff McKee, a rich and cruel high school boy who mocks Andie Walsh, played by Molly Ringwald, because she is poor. The film from 1986 made Steff one of his most famous early roles as a villain.

How many Emmy Awards did James Spader win for Boston Legal?

He won three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for playing Alan Shore, in 2004, 2005, and 2007, across The Practice and Boston Legal. He was the first actor to win for the same character on two different shows.

Who is Raymond Reddington, the character James Spader played in The Blacklist?

Raymond Reddington, known as Red, is a former government agent who becomes one of the most wanted criminals in the world, then surrenders to the FBI to help catch other criminals. James played him from 2013 to 2023 for ten seasons.

What science fiction film did James Spader star in during the 1990s?

He starred as Dr. Daniel Jackson, an archaeologist, in Stargate in 1994, a film about a portal to another world that became a huge commercial success and led to a long-running television series.

Is James Spader married, and does he have children?

He was married to Victoria Kheel from 1987 to 2004, and they had two sons, Sebastian and Elijah. He later had a son, Nathaneal, with his partner Leslie Stefanson, and he lives a very private life in New York.