Trivia: Often noted for his comment that he enjoys working in all of his films -- as long as he doesn't have to see any of them -- actor James Spader (born February 2nd, 1960) may have missed out on seeing a few good performances in some pretty memorable films.Though descended from a long line of scholars and professors, Spader, in ironic contrast to his theatrical image as the definitive terminal yuppie, dropped out of Phillips Andover prep school to pursue a career as an actor. Forsaking his formal education, Spader instead decided to focus his attention on acting by studying at the Michael Chekhov school in New York, while also working a variety of odd jobs to support himself until he found success as a thespian. Making his debut in the 1978 comedy Team Mates, Spader began the slow process of gaining more frequent work with roles of increasing substance. Spader's first role came in Franco Zeffirelli's soft-core teen melodrama Endless Love (1981) (also notable as the debut of another young unknown actor named Tom Cruise. After a brief, mid-'80s stint in teen exploitation including Tuff Turf and The New Kids (both 1985), Spader gained mainstream recognition with his first fore in yuppiedom as Molly Ringwald's insincere suitor in Pretty in Pink (1986). Over the course of the next few years, Spader would refine his slimy persona to perfection in Wall Street (1987) and Less Than Zero (1987), and take an interesting turn as a possible serial killer in the Jack the Ripper thriller Jack's Back (1988), but it was the end of the decade that brought the defining role in Spader's career.Though his role in independent filmmaker Steven Soderbergh's voyeurism-obsessed sex, lies and videotape did little to propel his persona into more likeable territories, it showed an actor with considerable talent who wasn't afraid to take risks, winning him the Best Actor award at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. Spader's dark portrayal of the ominously seductive videophile struck a chord in audiences and critics alike and turned him into a household name. The '90s found Spader expanding his yuppie image into more sympathetic territory with roles in White Palace and Bad Influence (both 1990), and he continued his likeable trend in the first of the mega-budget Dean Devlin/Roland Emmerich collaborations, Stargate (1994), before reverting back as Jack Nicholson's manipulative lycanthropic rival in Mike Nichols' imaginative satire Wolf (1994). Controversy soon followed with David Cronenberg's widely panned study of fetishistic alienation Crash (1996), and Spader has worked steadily since, with roles in Supernova (2000) and Speaking of Sex (2001). With the release of Secretary (2002), Spader once again found himself in the favor of art house audiences for his portrayal of a demanding lawyer who hires a recently released mental patient for the eponimous duty.Spader found success on the small screen once again for his work on Boston Legal from 2004 to 2008 as the character of Alan Moore, a vehemently moral attorney who resorts to unethical methods during his pursuit of justice (a role that would win the actor two Emmys). Spader made a guest appearance on an episode of The Office, and returned to the sitcom in 2011 as part of the main cast.

Trivia: Born in Michigan but moved to Florida at a young age. Studied with actress Jane Alexander at Florida State University and the Asolo Theater in Florida. Studied playwriting and Shakespearean and Restoration performance under professors who worked with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Started a non-profit theater production company called I'm a Parade Productions. Wrote, produced and directed the short film Eggshells for Soil in 2010.

Trivia: Originally wanted to be a professional baseball player. Moved to Toronto at the age of 19 to pursue an acting career. Worked as a bartender while studying in theater workshops. Landed his breakout role in the film Mean Girls (2004) as high-school student Shane. Enjoys various athletic activities in his free time, including baseball, golf, hockey and swimming.

Trivia: Began acting in school plays in third grade. Appeared in the Signature Theatre Company's production of Queens Boulevard in 2007. Starred in 2009's Why Torture is Wrong at the Public Theater. Appeared in Labyrinth Theater Company's premiere of The Muscles in Our Toes during a hiatus from The Blacklist.

Trivia: Speaks French, German, Farsi, Spanish and English. Trained at the Guthrie Theater in Minnesota. Trained at the Public Theater's Shakespeare Lab in New York. Portrayed 9 different Middle Eastern women in the one-woman show Nine Parts of Desire. Her screenplay When the Lights Went Out was adapted for the stage and premiered at the New York Stage and Film in 2013.

Trivia: Served in the United States Marine Corps from 1990 to 1995, and took place in Operation Desert Storm. Worked as a professional jazz and West African dancer after high school. Became a firefighter for the FDNY in Harlem in 1996 and worked there for nearly 20 years while pursuing his acting career. Performed the role of Walter Lee in an Arkansas Repertory Theatre production of A Raisin in the Sun in 2011.

Trivia: A memorable voice and a major talent, Chicago-born Harry J. Lennix first caught audiences' attention with the role of Dr. Greg Fischer on the medical drama ER. He would go on to make waves in films like Collateral Damage, The Matrix sequels, and Ray. as the 2000's and 2010's unfolded, Lennix would add more prominent TV roles to his resume, memorably starring on 24, Commander in Chief, and Dollhouse.