Age: 66
male
James Todd Spader (/ˈspeɪdər/ SPAY-dər; born February 7, 1960) is an American actor. He is known for often portraying eccentric and morally ambiguous characters. He began his career in critically acclaimed independent films before transitioning into television, where he has received acclaim and many awards, including three Primetime Emmy Awards and nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, and ten Screen Actors Guild Awards. Spader began acting in youth-oriented films such as Tuff Turf, The New Kids (both 1985), Pretty in Pink (1986), and Mannequin (1987). His breakthrough role came with the Steven Soderbergh drama Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989), for which he received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor. He then starred in films such as White Palace (1990), True Colors (1991), Stargate (1994), 2 Days in the Valley (1996), and Secretary (2002). Spader took supporting roles in Bob Roberts (1992), Wolf (1994), Lincoln (2012), and The Homesman (2014). He also played the role of Ultron in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). His television roles include the attorney Alan Shore in the last season of The Practice (2003–2004) and its spin-off Boston Legal (2004–2008), which earned him three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He portrayed Robert California in the sitcom The Office (2011–2012). He then starred as Raymond Reddington in the NBC crime thriller series The Blacklist (2013–2023), for which he received two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actor – Television Series Drama. Description above from the Wikipedia article James Spader, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
"Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown follows the Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon as he is summoned to help solve a murder and prevent a catastrophic event within the Vatican. The story begins with the death of a prominent physicist, Leonardo Vetra, who is found murdered at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. His chest is branded with a symbol representing the Illuminati, an ancient secret society. Before his death, Vetra had been working on a highly dangerous antimatter experiment. Robert Langdon is called to CERN to investigate Vetra's murder. He learns that the Illuminati, long thought to be extinct, have resurfaced and are threatening to destroy the Catholic Church with a devastating weapon stolen from CERN: antimatter. Langdon is soon joined by Vittoria Vetra, Leonardo's daughter and a brilliant scientist in her own right. Together, they follow a series of cryptic clues left by Vetra that lead them to Rome, where the papal conclave is about to elect a new pope. As Langdon and Vittoria race against time to unravel the Illuminati's plan, they uncover a conspiracy that involves ancient symbols, secret passages, and a centuries-old vendetta against the Catholic Church. Along the way, they encounter danger at every turn, including assassination attempts and deadly traps set by the Illuminati.
