We know James Spader from his lead role in The Blacklist, as well as his popular film and TV roles over the years. But in the actor’s personal life, who are James Spader’s children and how many kids does he have have? Keep reading to learn more.
The Blacklist, NBC’s long-running crime thriller, follows the story of Raymond ‘Red’ Reddington, played by Spader. Red is a former US Naval Intelligence officer who becomes a high-profile criminal. After escaping capture for decades, Reddington surrenders to the FBI and gives them the “Blacklist,” a compilation of the most dangerous criminals in the world. He collaborates with FBI special agent Elizabeth Keen, played by Megan Boone, to help catch the criminals in exchange for immunity from prosecution. As one of the original cast members of the show, Spader has starred on the show since September 2013. The actor is also an executive producer on the series.
NBC announced in February 2023 that The Blacklist was ending after Season 10. In an interview with NBC, Spader explained why he thinks the show had to end this way. “I think if the show went beyond this year, it would turn into a very different show,” he said. “And I think that the thing that has been nice about this show was that we’ve never really had a really clear paradigm for the show. Tonally the show shifts a lot from episode to episode, and I think that even the show has taken strange turns, and I suspect that the show, if it went much further, would just become something that would be less recognizable to me.”
Spader joined The Blacklist just three days before the pilot was scheduled to begin filming, the show’s creators told Variety in January 2018. “Once James stepped into the character during the pilot, adjustments were made to fit a voice that he had in mind,” Jon Bokenkamp said. Bokenkamp and showrunner John Eisendrath didn’t meet Spader in person until the first day of production, when Spader was in a dressing room getting his head shaved for the pilot episode. “I had my hair long for the last few projects that I had done, and it felt like the right thing for him,” Spader told Collider in 2013. “It was an idea that I instigated and I think it was the right choice. It just seemed to fit his lifestyle. He’s someone who has to travel lightly and move swiftly, and it seemed eminently practical for him.”
Decades before Spader joined The Blacklist, the actor married Victoria Kheel in 1987. Spader met Kheel (who was a yoga instructor) when he was living in New York, and they dated for more than a decade. Victoria also worked as a decorator on the set of the actor’s 1989 film, Sex, Lies and Videotape. Unfortunately, the pair got divorced in 2004. In 2009, Spader started dating his Alien Hunter co-star, actress Leslie Stefanson. Spader has been with Leslie, who is now a sculpter, for more than a decade, but the two are not married. The actor has largely kept the details of his and Leslie’s relationship out of the public eye.
Who are James Spader’s children?
So, who are James Spader’s children and how old are they now? Learn about his three sons with Victoria and Leslie below.
Sebastian Spader
Birthday: 1989 (Age 34)
James and Victoria had their first son, Sebastian Spader, in 1989. Sebastian currently works as a real estate agent for The Agency. According to his bio on The Agency website, he’s employed as a real estate agent in California and represents buyers and sellers from the Eastside to the Valley. Prior to Spader’s son’s work in real estate, he was actively involved in the film industry. After attending New York University, he worked in the camera and editorial departments and eventually became a producer. He was formerly a producer at Robert Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios in Austin, Texas. “When not touring real estate with his clients, many of whom have become lifelong friends, Sebastian enjoys savoring L.A.’s vast culinary scene, discovering new restaurants, photographic scenic locations and traveling,” the company site added of Sebastian’s interests.
Elijah Spader
Birthday: 1992 (Age 31)
James and Victoria had their second child, Elijah Spader, in 1992. Like his brother Sebastian, Elijah also worked behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. He graduated from the Los Angeles Film School with a degree in Audio Production. According to Elijah’s IMBd profile, Spader’s son has worked as a mix technician on series like Barry, The Blacklist, The Resident, and Insecure. His most recent project was Paramount Plus’ Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, a spin-off of John Travolta and Olivia Newton John’s 1978 musical.
Elijah shared an Instagram post in May 2023 about his experience working on Barry, which stars Bill Hader. “I got to be a part of the sound team for the last 2 seasons of #barry on #hbo and it’s probably been the most awesome thing I’ve ever done. Its the best show on tv and I can’t believe I got to be a part of it. Watch the series finale tonight! #postproduction #avid #protools #sony #mixing #billhader,” he wrote in the caption. Elijah recently proposed to his girlfriend, Samantha Ladenheim, in Florence, Italy, in January 2023.
In an interview with The Independent in 2009, Spader expressed that his ex-wife Victoria and their two sons are annoyed that Spader doesn’t use electronics. (At the time, Spader told the newspaper that he used a broken flip phone and didn’t have a computer.) “They’re in a constant state of shaking their heads in dismay and probably embarrassment.” The actor also said that for years, he had a desire to stay home with his family and work only sporadically. “I didn’t think the TV show through. I was just working all the time. Far too much to lead a very healthy life. I just don’t think acting that much in a year is good for you.”
Nathanael Spader
Birthday: August 31, 2008 (Age 14)
On August 31, 2008, Leslie gave birth to their son, Nathanael Spader. During a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Spader said that Nathanael would be his last child. “I believe in a negative population growth,” he said. “The other two were with another mother, so we have three boys that will replace all three of us.”
Spader also told The Independent that he’s tried to keep his work life distinct from his home one. “I always tried not to have my career be too much of a burden to my children, but looking back, I think that was a mistake. In retrospect I could have incorporated the kids a little more in terms of what it is I do. I’ve known a fair amount of kids who’ve grown up in a household with family members who are public figures of some sort and seen how dangerous that can be. Sometimes their parents’ lives can seem bigger than life, when of course you’re not bigger than life, no one is. You are who you are.”
The Blacklist will now air Thursdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.
Check out our gallery below on the real-life children of our favorite primetime stars.
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