“The Blacklist 8”, James Spader: “The wonder of a parallel universe”

“In eight years, not a single episode has gone far and wide.” The voice of James Spader, on the last Friday of the red zone, peeps out from a distant space, from an America in rebirth, whose present enthusiasm has not found any representation in the television series of which he is the protagonist. Spader, the Raymond Reddington of The Blacklist, he was strenuously opposed to the possibility of contaminating his own fictional universe with the waste of the present. “Our show has always existed within a parallel world.

Over the years, we have never bothered to plot a plot that had to do with real life, with newspaper headlines and news stories ». The Blacklist, whose eighth season is ready to debut on FoxCrime in the early evening of February 12th, “She defined a universe of her own, to which she remained faithful”. Therefore, no Joe Biden, in the twenty-two new episodes of the television series. No pandemic.

The Blacklist, broadcast since 2013, it will only find the characters who have made it a cult. Raymond Reddington, repentant criminal whose decision to cooperate with the police is not the daughter, alone, of a sudden goodness of mind; Elizabeth Keen, special agent appointed to follow his confessions; Donald Ressler, Harold Cooper, the set of FBI agents and mobsters whose “Red” is determined to secure a future behind bars.

Many television series usually set in fictional universes have, however, decided to make an exception and give their own representation of the pandemic. Why this Categorical “no”?
“For a few, but effective reasons. I think one of the strengths of our show has always been its verisimilitude. The Blacklist it is a parallel universe, in which credible characters live. This allowed the audience to find an escape from reality in the series. Many viewers I think watch The Blacklist because it allows them to withdraw from the problems related to everyday life, and this has led us to exclude the pandemic above all else ».

However, you will have had to face the restrictions that the Coronavirus has brought with it.
“Absolutely. We had to deal with many restrictions, we had to limit the number of people present in a given location. But, net of the difficulties and the productive effort that required us, I think I can say that a magnificent job has been done ».

Work that will continue: The Blacklist has already been confirmed for a ninth season. What still remains to be told?
“Much. It may seem absurd, but in eight years we have never found ourselves beating around the bush. No episode, in the eight seasons, was thought of as a filler. I remember one day talking with Jon Bokenkamp, director. He had a twenty-minute longer bet on his hands. We tried to figure out how to cut it, which unnecessary scenes to eliminate. In the end, it was twenty minutes longer than it should have ”.

Aren’t you bored playing the same character for eight years?
“No. On the set of The Blacklist, I have never had a mediocre or mundane day. The series has always been very exciting and the very idea of ​​moving forward excites me. There are many surprises in this new season. There are more for the public than for me. The writers and I talked a lot about what we were going to do, so nothing could surprise me once shooting started ».

And this would lead us to think of a certain repetitiveness …
“It would induce, though. When I play the part of Red I’m not surprised by the story we’re telling, but by the world we’re making it in. ‘

Explain.
«One of the great amusements of being an actor is being able to be surprised by one’s reactions: there is amazement in the physical and emotional responses that are given in certain situations. There is wonder in seeing a location for the first time. There is growth in looking at a problem or a fact from a new perspective. The surprise, when you are an actor, is not about where you get to on the show, it’s about the little things, the details, even personal, that we discover as we go on ».

So what has Raymond Reddington left you over these eight seasons?
“From the beginning, what I loved most about Red was his irreverence, his sense of humor. I discovered and learned to love his longing for life, pervasive and profound ».

His character is strongly ambivalent. Did she really never despise him?
“I don’t usually make judgments about my characters. I have a deep understanding of everything Raymond stands for. Rather, I’d say there are things about Red that Red doesn’t like: his brutality and the danger he poses to others, for example. But I think Red is aware of the qualities that make him strong and able to survive the worst circumstances in life. He saw the tremendous price of loss and witnessed it. Feel how bad death does. This led him to strongly desire sweetness, calm, love. He is a dichotomous character, and it is this ambivalence that has made him so interesting ».

He often talks about his collaboration with the writers. What exactly does it consist of?
«In a real collaboration. Let’s talk about everything that has to do with the show. We talk before the writing of the scripts, during the shoot. Let’s talk about the new entries and the possible suppression of some characters. We are talking about subplots that can last years, months or days. Let’s talk about the tone of the show, the dialogues. We talk during the holidays. This series keeps me awake at night ».

And do you think it’s a good thing?
“Let’s just say I’ve always had trouble sleeping. When I wake up, my mind begins to travel fast. I tend to be an obsessive compulsive person, so it often happens that I stay up at night giving shape to ideas about The Blacklist. It happens that I waste hours trying to remember them, so as to put them on paper the following morning ».

Elizabeth Keen, the special agent played by Megan Boone, is one of the strongest female characters on television. How do you judge the change that Hollywood is aiming for, the progressive abandonment of gender roles?
«I find it fundamental. For me, as a man and actor, it always has been. I have always felt more comfortable in the company of women. I grew up with a female majority in the house, a terrific mother and two older sisters. I’ve always been attracted to strong female characters and the ones I’ve met in my films have been. I’ve always looked at the world from a female perspective, and I can’t imagine doing otherwise. I understand, however, that it took the industry some time to get here. Today, I feel like saying that it is only a matter of time for the real and definitive change to be achieved ».

Digital has imposed a decidedly sustained production rate, even on linear television. Do you find such trouble to be good?
«I state that I, on the other hand, have never felt in competition with digital or Netflix. Netflix has aired The Blacklist, creating added value for all of us. Streaming brought us audiences, and it was great. In general, I’m happy to have the huge amount of programs we have now. Competition is a good thing, it leads to excellence, it spurs commitment ».

Cinema, television, theater. In his career he has done everything. Which medium did you prefer?
“On television, I found a greater opportunity for further study. The Blacklist is the second tv show I work on, and lasts for more than 150 episodes. My first character I played in The Practice, then in Boston Legal. Either way, I found it fascinating to see how it evolved, not in history, but over time. My TV characters have aged with me, and I with them. I think it’s the best thing about working on television ».

Nothing bad then?
“He wakes her up in the morning. When I started acting, I found myself working on the stage. It was a night job, and I’ve always been a night person, not a morning person. So when I found myself making films, I always tried to play characters who lived at night. What, this, that I managed, if you notice. It was television that forced me to turn. TV is a day job, which starts very early in the morning. It was a shock. I haven’t gotten used to the sound of the alarm yet. ‘