James Todd Spader was born on February 7, 1960 in Boston,
Massachusetts, the son of teachers Jean (Fraser) and Stoddard Greenwood
"Todd" Spader. He attended Phillips Academy in Andover with director
Peter Sellars; he dropped out in eleventh grade. He bussed tables,
shoveled manure, and taught yoga before landing his first roles.
Spader's first major film role was as
Brooke Shields' brother in the romance
drama
Endless Love (1981). Spader
graduated from television movies to Brat Pack films, playing the
scoundrel. In
Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989),
he played a sexual voyeur who complicates the lives of three Baton
Rouge residents. This performance earned him the Best Actor award at
the Cannes Film Festival and led to bigger and more varied roles. His
best known role is the colorful attorney Alan Shore on the
David E. Kelley television
series
The Practice (1997) and
its spin-off
Boston Legal (2004).
He won 3 prime time Emmy Awards in the Best Actor, Drama category for
playing the same character Alan Shore in two different television
series 'The Practice' and 'Boston Legal' out of the 4 nominations he
received for the same between the years 2004-2008. He also received a
Golden Globe and several Screen Actor Guild Award Best Actor
nominations for reprising this role.
VisionQuest(2026)as Ultron
The Blacklist(2013)as Raymond 'Red' Reddington
Avengers: Age of Ultron(2015)as Ultron
The Homesman(2014)as Aloysius Duffy
Lincoln(2012)as W.N. Bilbo
The Office(2005)
Boston Legal(2004)
Late Night with Seth Meyers(2014)as Self - Guest
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon(2014)as Self - Guest, Self
Today(1952)as Self - Guest
Entertainment Tonight(1981)as Self
The View(1997)as Self - Guest
Nexus VI(2014)
Minty Comedic Arts(2015)as Self
Brats(2024)as Steff, Self
Marvel Studios: Legends(2021)as Ultron
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver(2014)as Self
