Even The Blacklist Creator Admitted One Annoying Habit of James Spader He Obsessively Repeated Throughout the Show
The Blacklist star James Spader has one habit that created a big issue for creator Jon Bokenkamp.
The Blacklist ran for ten seasons and became a vehicle for actor James Spader to put forth his brilliantly oddball energy and channelizing it in the eccentricities of Raymond “Red” Reddington.
Spader undeniably became the glue that held the series together, especially in its later seasons. However, one habit of the actor proved to be quite a headache even for the show’s creative team.
Jon Bokenkamp created the series for NBC and Spader was later cast in the lead role. However, Bokenkamp revealed in an interview that Spader’s obsessive-compulsive issues meant that the actor was hyper-fixated on every little detail. Here is what Bokenkamp had to say about Spader’s annoying habit on The Blacklist and what the actor had to say about it.
The Blacklist creator revealed James Spader’s annoying habit he kept repeating
When creator Jon Bokenkamp was developing The Blacklist, his first choice for the role ranged between the likes of Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston and 24 star Kiefer Sutherland. Bokenkamp told Variety that when James Spader was eventually cast as the enigmatic Raymond “Red” Reddington, he only met the actor on the first day of production.
As a result, the creator can be forgiven for not being aware of Spader’s obsessive-compulsive issues, which the actor himself admitted during an interview with Rolling Stone. Bokenkamp was asked about the same and admitted that Spader was hyper-focused on the show’s details.
This stuff keeps him up at night. He can dig his heels in. The conversations can be frustrating.
Bokenkamp made the above statement revealing that he quickly learned about Spader’s obsessive compulsive issues while working on the series.
As a result, Bokenkamp revealed that he had to spend hours talking to Spader on the phone, discussing every little detail regarding the show’s creative direction as it made the lead star restlesss. Hence, Spader’s habit of fixating on detials certianly proved to be annoying for Bokenkamp during their time on the show.
James Spader explained why he obsessed over the details of The Blacklist
During the same interview, Spader also touched upon his OCD, which made him reliant on a schedule and fixated on details. However, despite admitting that he only agreed to star in The Blacklist for the paycheck, Spader was extremely involved with the show’s creative process.
Because I have to perform it.
Like his character in the series, Spader bluntly made the above comment, explaining why he wanted to ensure the series got every detail right.
Spader’s hyper fixation on detailing meant that the series greatly benefitted from his terrific performance as there is no The Blacklist without Red. However, as Spader revealed in the interview, scripts had to be sometimes rewritten and schedules juggled to incorporate his concerns. Hence, Spader’s habit only must have added to the creative team and Bokenkamp’s frustrations.
