Spotlight On: James Spader

You may know James Spader most recently as Raymond "Red" Reddington on NBC's 'The Blacklist,' but the actor has had a long and varied career. Before 'The Blacklist' premieres October 1, see him transform from teen heartthrob into seasoned pro in our gallery. 

Spader's first screen acting job was a bit part in an obscure 1978 teen comedy called 'Team-Mates.' His breakout role, however, was as Brooke Shields' brother in this romance, which also marked Tom Cruise's movie debut.

Spader (far left) became a leading man with this high school drama, in which he falls in love with a girl (future 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star Kim Richards) and has to fend off her hoodlum boyfriend. That's Robert Downey Jr., fourth from left.

'Tuff Turf,' alas, was not a hit. So instead of playing heroes, Spader – thanks to those blue-blooded features of his – spent much of the rest of the '80s cast as an arrogant preppy creep, as in this John Hughes-penned classic.

Spader slicked his hair back to play the ultimate '80s creep: Robert Downey Jr.'s cold-hearted drug dealer. This high-strung drama is loosely based on Bret Easton Ellis' best seller.

His hair may be at its biggest, but Spader is a revelation as a sensitive loner with a fondness for videotaping women while asking them intimate questions. His work was awarded the Best Actor prize at Cannes.

James Spader became a leading man again after his 'Sex, Lies' success, and a string of films followed, such as 'Bad Influence,' 'True Colors' and 'Storyville.' This romance, costarring Susan Sarandon, was the biggest hit of the bunch. 

This critically lauded but woefully overlooked little gem starred Spader as a poker player who becomes one of two men who end up working off their debts to two eccentric older gents on a lonely country estate.  

This comedy-thriller about a put-upon book editor who becomes a werewolf was a vehicle for Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer, but Spader's turn as a vicious coworker who also turns lupine was hardly a howl.

Spader's other big 1994 hit was this sci-fi adventure, in which he stars alongside Kurt Russell as a linguistics professor – hence the glasses – who winds up on a planet that bears a remarkable resemblance to ancient Egypt.

After 'Stargate,' Spader turned to smaller, more challenging films, such as David Cronenberg's controversial thriller about people who get aroused by car crashes. Definitely not to be confused with the 2005 Oscar winner of the same name.

After a few years out of the spotlight, Spader rebooted his career with this unapologetically kinky romance. His Mr. Grey – a precursor to 'Fifty Shades of'? – is a boss with a talent for disciplining his secretary (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

Spader's work in 'Secretary' opened new doors, this time on TV. He was cast as an unethical lawyer on 'The Practice' in 2003, for which he won an Emmy. He then starred in this spin-off series – and won two more Emmys.

Following the end of 'Boston Legal' in 2008, Spader returned to prime time with a vengence as the irresistibly named Robert California, one of Dunder Mifflin's weirdest employees – and that's saying something.

Spader, like many of his cast members, is almost unrecognizable under all that 19th-century facial hair. But as William N. Bilbo, the colorful lobbyist whom Lincoln hires to help get the 13th Amendment passed, he is also unforgettable.

Those golden locks may be gone, but Spader is at his very best as "Red" Reddington, the government operative turned fugitive who helps the FBI track down criminals they didn't even know about – though he also has his own agenda.