James Spader has pushed back against the idea that he is Hollywood's go-to actor for playing dark and dysfunctional characters, during an interview about his return as Ultron in the new Disney Plus series VisionQuest.
The 66-year-old actor, known for roles including serial killers and the enigmatic Robert California, was speaking about reprising his role as the murderous AI Ultron, who forced the Avengers to assemble in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Spader questions the 'dark' label
When asked about a quote attributed to him calling him 'Hollywood's go-to guy for playing dark and dysfunctional men', Spader responded: 'I don't think I would have used those words. It probably wasn't a quote of mine, unless it was attributed to me incorrectly, but I've had such a strange career.'
He explained his career choices have always been about seeking variety: 'I just know whenever I've been looking for a job, I've always been looking for something that was different from what I've just finished doing. I really like the good with the bad; I really like the irreverent and the emotional and moving together.'
'Probably the greatest consistency that I've had in my career is that I love the eccentric, and the strange, and the curious,' he added.
Returning to Ultron in VisionQuest
Spader revealed he was drawn back to Ultron because of the surprising nature of VisionQuest, which he described as a 'wonderful bookend' to his 10-year run on The Blacklist. He noted that he had filmed Avengers: Age of Ultron at the end of the first season of The Blacklist, then returned to New York for a decade before coming to London for VisionQuest.
He credited showrunner Terry Matalas, who pitched the entire trajectory of the show before a single script page was written. 'Terry told me the entire trajectory of the show and the entire trajectory of my character within that show,' Spader said. 'He then immediately started working with me before I'd agreed to do the show; he just started in that first meeting, engaging me, asking questions, asking for my contribution to the ideas that he had just presented; it never stopped.'
A new look and a wiser Ultron
Spader revealed that the character's new human avatar, complete with an unruly beard, was his own idea. He explained that the transition from a nine-foot robot to a man in his sixties required a scruffy appearance but the same formidable bearing.
The actor also described how Ultron has changed since his last appearance. 'He's been forced to stop,' Spader explained. 'In Age of Ultron, he was like a teenager; he's just consuming and absorbing knowledge, but he's always moving, evolving, changing. Now it's very different.'
He added that Ultron now has an appreciation for the chaos of humanity, and is searching for a connection with others. 'I think he's in touch with love; I don't think he's really experienced it,' Spader said. 'I think he probably really longs for that feeling of connection with somebody else that humans have, and I think that is what he's searching for.'
This new perspective has led Ultron to help Vision and Tommy find each other, though Spader noted a selfish motive: 'But most importantly, from a selfish point of view, because he's a selfish man, it's also very, very important for Ultron.'
VisionQuest is available to stream now exclusively on Disney Plus.
