MovieChat Forums > James Spader Discussion > His acting is repetitive, predictable an...

His acting is repetitive, predictable and recycled

posted 11 years ago by the_skipper
12 replies | jump to latest

I just posted this on the Blacklist forums, but I think this will be of interest to most of you and many may share my opinion.

James Spader used to be myh favorite actor but it's getting hard to watch him on The Blacklist. His body language hasn't changed for years.

His mannerism is worn out, he recycles the same things he did from Boston Legal and even The Office. Here's what his "acting" is reduced to on The Blacklist:

-constant mouth twitches. Observe this tick and it will become unwatchable. Playing with his tongue right before speaking and so forth.

-shaking his head, staring with his head on 45 degrees

-Having his hand on his stomach. It's a thing he did back on Boston Legal, then again on The Office.

... and a thing or two I'll need a video to point out. Anyhow:

James Spader's nuanced acting from Boston Legal is gone. The directors of the Blacklist sure don't have anything to teach him, the other actors don't challenge him in any way, but still, doing the same couple of things for months (years, really) isn't even acting. It's habit.

[–] a_l_p 10 years ago

I think you have a very ... technical approach to assess an actor's ability. Spader certainly has his mannerisms, but I don't think it's some kind of acting autopilot. It seems to me rather the way he is as a person and reacts as a human being. You will see certain parts of this mannerism also in a film like "Secretary" where his character comes across as very different than Raymond Reddington for example. Or as James Spader himself when he gives an interview.

But what I appreciate about his acting is not if the exact angle of his head tilt varies or anything like that. I rather appreciate the intensity he brings to the role, the incredible ease whith which he makes the lines of the character his own and the detailed nuances he conveys with his face and voice. To me he is one of these actors that can tell a whole story with just a glance or a slight change in tone (and make it seem effortless) and that's quite a gift. I think that's also what makes him (at least for me) so compelling to watch.

[–] Destinata (3564) 2 years ago

Exactly! Except I'd say he peaked on season 8 of The Practice. That was some acting! But now, as some actors do, he's just become a caricature of himself. He picks up the paycheck, which seems to be what he's most interested in anymore. Sad waste of talent.

[–] PaulIsAlive (470) 14 days ago

He's at an age where he's expected to play to his on-screen persona no matter what he's in. Happened to Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Robert DuhNiro, etc.

[–] Mustang (5571) 14 days ago

I guess to be fair Raymond Reddington really isn't that different to the character he played on Boston Legal. In general he has always played the same character throughout his career. I can see elements of his Tuff Turf character in Reddington for example.

A lot of actors have a shtick, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Pacino all act the same way in pretty much everything they do.