James Spader on The Blacklist: Broadcast Network Shows Are a “Curse” but “I Have a Very Real Need to Work” Because I Need the Money

The Blacklist star James Spader revealed why he joined the series despite feeling network television came with an inherent curse.

Thanks to his stint on Boston Legal, James Spader became a household name in the early 2000s. Despite a promising film career, the actor turned his attention to the small screen in the following decade, resulting in a critically acclaimed ten-season run on the hit crime-drama series The Blacklist.

During an interview, Spader discussed taking up the now-iconic role of Raymond “Red” Reddington, especially in an era when cable television offered more freedom compared to the rigorous schedule of network television. Here’s what Spader had to say about joining a network show and why its demanding schedule wasn’t an issue for him.

The Blacklist star James Spader explained why he agreed to do a network show

Actor James Spader was already a multiple Emmy award winner when he concluded his run as Alan Shore on Boston Legal in 2008. The series turned Spader into a household name, but when he returned to the small screen a few years later, the landscape had changed.

Cable was experiencing a boom in the early 2010s, allowing actors and creators more freedom, taking more risks with a shorter schedule and smaller episode count each year. However, when Spader joined The Blacklist in 2013, its demanding network schedule wasn’t an issue for him.

During an interview with Time magazine, Spader was asked whether the challenges of working on network television impacted his decision to join the crime-drama series. In response, Spader stated the following:

This show happened to be on a broadcast network, and I have a very real need to work. A financial need to work, and on a broadcast network, the curse is that it’s 22 episodes as opposed to 12 or 13.

From Spader’s words, it is clear that the actor’s decision was impacted by his need for a steady paycheck. As a result, longer seasons with more episodes likely appealed to Spader’s need for financial stability. Hence, despite cable shows offering more freedom, Spader preferred working on network television.

James Spader revealed the logic behind his costume in The Blacklist

In the same interview, Spader also discussed his character’s costume in The Blacklist that had become an essential extension of his persona, including his iconic style of wearing hat. In the series, Spader’s character sports a hat, which adds to the enigma surrounding Red.

During the discussion, Spader revealed that while he likes to wear hats in real life, the character sharing this attribute was merely a coincidence. The Office actor explained that Red’s costume was created with practicality in mind, given his odd profession.

Spader made the following statement regarding his character’s costume design in the series.

He has to have a life and wear clothing that is — where he can go from the jungle to the boardroom, maybe in a single day.

Furthermore, Spader added that the creative team did not want Red’s costume to reflect one specific time, place, or fashion. Instead, the idea was for the character’s costume to be an amalgamation of various things, resulting in the timeless look, which is completed with an elegant hat that adds to the aesthetic.