James Spader Has Played 3 Television Characters In The Past 20 Years, And They Couldn't Be More Different From Each Other

Despite his prolific reputation and commanding screen presence, James Spader has, surprisingly, only played 3 television characters in the last 20 years. From the very beginning of his acting career, James Spader starred in a few independent movies, in which the actor played enigmatic and eccentric roles, quickly making a name for himself. From Sex, Lies, and Videotape, to 1994’s Stargate, Spader has starred in a range of major roles in the years following, with each new role showcasing his talent, however, it was his move to television that earned him numerous awards and widespread critical acclaim.

As a result of his television roles, James Spader won 3 Primetime Emmy Awards and was nominated for 3 Golden Globe Awards, as well as 10 SAG Awards. First starring in a television short called Diner in 1983, Spader appeared in a few TV shows before finally landing his first major role in The Practice. Spader’s character on The Practice led to his appearance in a major role in the spin-off series Boston Legal. Yet, while James Spader has done plenty of brilliant movies, he has only played 3 television roles in the last 20 years, starting with Alan Shore.

James Spader Has Played Alan Shore, Robert California, And Raymond Reddington In The Last 20 Years

Spader's Last Three TV Characters Were Pretty Iconic

James Spader as The Blacklist's Raymond Reddington in front of a red background

James Spader first appeared as Alan Shore in The Practice, before moving to the spin-off series, Boston Legal, in 2004. Following the exploits of lawyer Alan Shore and his coworkers at Crane, Poole & Schmidt, the show was a legal comedy-drama that was a direct spin-off from The Practice. Despite never achieving particularly high ratings, Boston Legal was a critically acclaimed show that featured Spader's Alan Shore character at its forefront. A few years after the show ended, James Spader made a short appearance in The Office as the eccentric Michael replacement, Robert California, for 20 episodes throughout season 8.

James Spader actually featured in one episode of the TV documentary series Discovery Atlas in 2006 but in a narrator role.

Robert California was a prominent character in The Office’s season 8 as the show tried to make up for Steve Carell’s exit. Originally appearing as a cameo, among many other actors and comedians, Spader then became a regular on the show for just one season before he, too, was replaced. James Spader’s third and most recent television character role in the last 20 years is arguably one of his most famous. In 2012, James Spader was cast as Raymond “Red” Reddington in The Blacklist, a role that he occupied for 10 years, and actually eventually became an executive producer for.

How James Spader's Most Iconic TV Characters Are Different From Each Other

From Lawful To Lawless, Spader Has A Range Of Roles

James Spader's most iconic TV characters are very different from each other. Alan Shore was a notorious character in Boston Legal due to his somewhat questionable practices. Nevertheless, as one of the best TV lawyers he stands out for being on the right side of the law, allowing justice to prevail. The Office's Robert California offered a completely different role in that he was an eccentric character. While Shore was a similarly witty man, he was the one dealing with eccentric personalities in Boston Legal.

Steve Carell as Michael Scott and James Spader as Robert California in The Office

The Office’s Original Plan To Replace Michael Scott Shows How Great Robert California Really Was

The original plan for Robert California meant that he would only appear as a cameo in The Office, but James Spader's performance changed the show.

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In complete contrast to James Spader's previous TV roles of the last 20 years, there is The Blacklist’s Raymond Reddington character, a calculated individual and an extremely resourceful criminal mastermind. While Spader is known for being cast in morally ambiguous roles, Alan Shore remained true to his profession as a lawyer, and Robert California never did anything outright illegal (although his strange personality doesn't render it out of the question). However, Raymond Reddington was a criminal from the beginning, and we weren't supposed to like him, but the twist came in that viewers grew to like the morally questionable villain.

James Spader's Next TV Character Will Not Be A New Role For Him

Spader’s MCU Character Ultron Will Make A TV Debut In 2026

Ultron looks at the Avengers in Age of Ultron and White Vision activates in Vision Quest

Interestingly, despite a distinct lack of TV characters in his repertoire, James Spader's next TV appearance will not be for a new role. With only 3 TV roles under his belt within the last 20 years, you might expect the actor to explore new characters and opportunities, especially considering James Spader has spent the last decade only on The Blacklist. However, this does not appear to be the case for his next upcoming TV series, which will see James Spader return to a previous role that he originally played in 2015 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.

With a talent for ambiguous characters and clever villains, Spader played a brilliant version of Ultron in the 2015 movie

James Spader will be making a return to the MCU as Ultron in the upcoming Vision Quest series. With a talent for ambiguous characters and clever villains, Spader played a brilliant version of Ultron in the 2015 movie, which saw the sentient AI robot take on the Avengers when he tried to destroy the world. Following the events of WandaVision, Vision Quest will most likely explore White Vision and his identity, as his story remains unfinished. James Spader’sappearance in Vision Quest is exciting, especially because he always elevates the shows he is in.