An actor with a taste
for extremes, James Spader has forged a career built upon exploring
the darker side of human nature. Most recently Spader attracted the
attention of television critics and audiences alike with his
portrayal of the ethically-challenged attorney, Alan Shore, on ABC’s
“The Practice,” a role that won him an Emmy Award for Outstanding
Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He returns this year to headline David
E. Kelley’s new drama, “Boston Legal.”
Spader appeared alongside Maggie Gyllenhaal in the
critically-acclaimed film, “Secretary.” Directed by Steven Shainberg
and based on Mary Gaitskills’ novella, Bad Behavior, “Secretary” is
a richly imaginative and unique love story about two people who
discover that the most delectable pleasures can be found between the
hours of 9:00 and 5:00. The Lions Gate Films release won the 2002
Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for Originality. Spader also
starred in John McNaughton’s “Speaking of Sex,” in which he plays a
depression expert, one of the many people who attempt to solve a
couple’s marital problems. Produced by Canal Plus, “Speaking of Sex”
co-stars Jay Mohr, Lara Flynn Boyle and Megan Mullaly.
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In Walter Hill’s science
fiction thriller, “Supernova,” co-starring Angela Bassett, Robert
Forster and Robin Tunney, Spader played the co-pilot of a deep space
medical vessel who rescues a castaway from the darkness of space. As
the ship drifts closer to a giant star about to explode, the crew is
drawn into the mystery of their newest passenger and the alien
artifact he has smuggled on board. In Blue Rider Pictures’ “Slow
Burn,” he co-starred along side Minnie Driver, Josh Brolin and
Stuart Wilson. Directed by Christian Ford, the film is a morality
tale centered on one woman, three men, a strongbox of diamonds and
the remorseless Mexican desert.
Spader worked opposite Albert Brooks, Kyra Sedgwick and Jeffrey
Wright in Sidney Lumet’s “Critical Care,” a satire of modern medical
care in which he portrays a libidinous second-year resident involved
with the hypocrisy and greed at the heart of the hospital system.
And in one of his more controversial roles, Spader starred in David
Cronenberg’s “Crash,” in which, following a car accident, he finds
himself awakened by a sudden mix of violence and sexuality in his
life. Adapted from J.G. Ballard’s cult classic novel, “Crash”
received the Special Jury Prize at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.
The film co-starred Holly Hunter, Deborah Kara Unger and Elias
Koteas.
This biography was taken from the
ABC official website.
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