James Spader awed fans with his portrayal of Raymond Reddington in the popular show The Blacklist. His mysterious aura, and intimidating demeanor gave fans an entertaining watch that ran for 10 whole years.
As such, one would think that Spader would love that his series got so much appreciation that it birthed the spin-off series The Blacklist: Redemption. The reality, however, is far from that.
The actor spoke in an interview, that while he loves that the series and its spin-off, got so much love from fans, there is one particular problem he has with them. While this might surprise most fans, the New Yorkers at least agree with him.
James Spader hates when regular life gets hindered by TV show filmings
The appreciation for TV shows comes from the fact that they always keep fans guessing. However, to keep the anticipation intact, and to make sure the filming goes smoothly, productions often close down or block entire streets in various locations.
Now in a city as congested as New York, this obviously causes a massive headache for the locals. James Spader, as a New Yorker himself, has faced this problem many times.
As such, even after being such a huge TV artist, Spader has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the situation. In fact, his dislike for it has even extended to the filming of the spin-off for his widely appreciated show The Blacklist.
James Spader noted in an interview on the Late Night With Seth Meyers, that many a day he had to come home to his neighborhood being blocked off due to The Blacklist: Redemption’s filming schedule.
Just to get through the day in New York is a great effort for all New Yorkers. And anything that one does to hinder that effort is just unfair. And that’s including shooting a television show on the street.
While this might be surprising to many fans, only the ones who have faced such troubles would probably understand what he is talking about.
Nevertheless, this is not even the most intriguing fact about the TV veteran. Interestingly, for an actor who is hailed as one of the television legends of all time, he doesn’t even watch TV. Not even when it comes to his own show.
James Spader doesn’t like to watch TV much
Although he has given many noteworthy performances throughout his career, his portrayal of Raymond ‘Red’ Reddington on The Blacklist is still a hot topic among fans.
As such, many fans would be surprised to know that while he immensely enjoys his work, i.e., acting, he has no fascination with the fruits of his labor. James Spader stated as much in an interview with Collider in 2013.
I’ve never been a big TV watcher. So, when I first started working on the series, I got to feel what it felt like to be a viewer.
Even more fascinatingly, he prefers to not know the future of his character in advance. According to Spader, “It’s just more exciting and compelling” that way. Moreover, it also keeps the “anticipatory” factor alive for him.
Especially as this opens him up to the endless possibilities a series like that could have. He doubled down on it in another interview with The New York Times stating that the surprise element is his favorite aspect of The Blacklist.
I still love the element of surprise, even for myself.
Ending his surprise, and the fans’, of course, the show finally concluded in 2023. Although major questions about it remained unsolved, that’s possibly how James Spader liked it. Nevertheless, Red’s death became its own sort of answer and a fitting end for such a magnetic character.
The Blacklist is streaming on Netflix. Meanwhile, The Blacklist: Redemption is available to buy on Apple TV.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
