As we know, I am a diehard Pretty in Pink fan.
It wasn’t just about John Hughes behind the camera, or Molly Ringwald, or Andrew McCarthy. We simply couldn’t have rooted for Andie and Blane without the “best friend” who is quite the d-bag. We loved to hate the man we know as Steff: rich, entitled, playboy, snotty, pre-determined alcoholic, and utterly bored with life at the tender age of 18.
And there was no one more perfect to portray Steff than James Spader, all hooded eyes, cynical smile — and that hair! While “the bad guy” movie roles have elevated somewhat in films nowadays, Steff’s persona still exists, in film and in reality. He wasn’t just a one-dimensional character that was frozen in time. No. This guy could be plucked out from that age and dropped anywhere – just tweak the hair a little and take away the white, shoulder-padded sport jackets.
Now, I don’t harbor a crush for Mr. Spader presently, but seeing as he will be re-emerging in The Office very soon, it’s hard for me to look at him in the promos right now and not ask, “Dude, what happened?”
It’s been twenty-five years since he almost stole the thunder away from Blane. (The party scene where he’s totally trashed is actually pretty funny.) Granted, twenty-five years is a long time and people’s looks shift from one decade to another. Madonna definitely doesn’t look the same now as she did in the early ’80s, Botox notwithstanding. But she is in her early 50s and looks fabulous – no one will deny that. Jim, if I may call him that, seems to have taken a different approach towards middle-agedom.
To best illustrate my point, let’s look at some photos. Is it self-indulgent? Absolutely.
This is how he looked in Pretty in Pink, with his Farrah Fawcett locks and the gall to wear his open shirt like that to HIGH SCHOOL. But still. He’s the perfectly dressed, smoldering scumbag.
So far, so good.
Here are a couple more as he progresses through his other films, including Wolf, where he did look a little creepy but still looked like James Spader. His looks afford him the types of characters where you don’t know whether you would want to try to be friends with him or just run away screaming.
And now we get to where he’s aging a bit but still looks distinguishable (and kinda like Rainn Wilson):
Let’s get to present day. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE that he is going to be working with the cast of The Office. I miss Michael Scott on the show but hopefully Jimbo here can bring some darkly intense humor to the show that was missing before. He can do it, I know it.
But what is going on with this whole look?
Again, slightly different:
Not cool. Where are the cheekbones? Where’s the smoldering?! Quite frankly, where did the sex appeal go? This is nothing like when Renee Zellweger put on twenty or thirty pounds for Bridget Jones’s Diary and looked fabulous and healthy but very much when she put the same weight back on for Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and looked splotchy, bloated, and a little constipated.
Is this new look for his upcoming role? Is he taking time away from eating a macrobiotic diet? (If so, that’s understandable. Carry on.) What’s going on with the hair? Am I the only one who thinks he needs a makeover show? Or have I succumbed to the pressures of society/media and think that a person shouldn’t look 51 when s/he’s 51? What happened to “50 is the new 40?” So many questions, so few answers.
I’m just saying, that’s all.
Wow, those photos really bring it home! I agree. I’m sure he’s still got it in him; he just needs to let us see it again!
I think you win for fastest comment ever on a new post! I’m relieved I’m not the only one. It’s a fine line to write about something as superficial as this without coming across as an a-hole.
You can barely even recognize him! It’s like he has the world’s worst plastic surgeon or something.
Or no plastic surgeon at all?
And I think he’s aging naturally, which is fine, but it’s just weird to think that it’s happening that rapidly (or badly?) for him.
I was never a Steff fan. Blaine all the way! Bonus points for Blaine: Andrew McCarthy still looks great.
I saw James in person in NYC at the stage door of his play RACE…he looked great! His hair IS receding fairly rapidly now and I give him a lot of credit that he doesn’t try to hide the fact, although if needed for a role I am sure he is not adverse. I have the feeling he was wearing some type of hair piece in the latter seasons of Boston Legal. He was a bit thinner last June and his hair was shorter; both of these things helped him to look better and younger. November of 2009 he was a lot thinner and really looked fine! Really what it comes down to is his weight AND the character he is portraying.
Thanks for that update! I’m hopeful that in five more years, he’s not going to look as bad as Mickey Rourke (highly unlikely, but still).
To be fair, Mickey Rourke had several boxing injuries, and a plastic surgeon who boxed his reconstructive surgery. Jimmy just ate too many twinkies.
Mouth wide open, eyes aghast! Feel like I’m looking at those Fashion Police photos in US Mag. Poor Spader. All I can say is thank god I’m not a Hollywood celebrity. Yet.
If he is truly going au natural then I say it´s all good…if he actually paid to end up looking like this then uhh he needs to get a refund
HAHA! Agreed! hahahaha
Oh man. This almost ruined Pretty in Pink for me. I can’t shake the image of New & De-proved James Spader
De-proved hahahaha that’s great. I don’t want to come down too harshly on him but I feel like if I were a celebrity who made millions, I’d be okay with having a chef, trainer, and personal stylist to help me look my best as I age.
I LOVE Pretty In Pink!! And as much of a d-bag as he was, I did find “Steff” sexy in some strange way. Partially because he was an 18 year old boy totally rocking a girl’s name. But Andrew McCarthy takes the cake in that movie. <3 Ugh, his horrible aging reminds me of Brad Pitt, in a way. Maybe (like Brad) if he fixed up the hair and such, he might be able to salvage some of the former hotness.
I think there’s always hope! I think Brad is aging okay, though I have heard he has terrible skin. I love that this thread is like the celebrity gossip column for the day haha.
Spader’s skin last year looked as soft and clear as a baby’s bottom. Hardly a wrinkle anywhere to be seen except around the eyes; he has had bags under his eyes since he was in his twenties…always did, always will. This is probably due to the fact that he suffers from terrible insomnia. When I saw him in November 2009 he looked like E. Edward Grey only a little older and with less hair…it’s all about the weight and length of hair.
WE LUV US SOME JAMES SPADER chez nous! We’ll take him in whatever form he comes…lumpy, crunchy, smooth, shiny…he’s a wonderful actor and does “smarmy” like no other!
Very true! Not saying I dislike him because I think he’s brilliant.
I think he’s still hot. But then again, I’m not 20 or 30. No matter what happens to his exterior, that man can’t help but be hot.
He definitely has personality – there is no denying that. He has a nice voice
How many years has it been since Boston Legal?!
I don’t know. My mom loved that show, though. Looks like he took some time off, in the same way that Christina Aguilera was super thin and fit for Burlesque but got REALLY curvy right after.
Boston Legal ended December 8, 2008…I loved that show; the date sticks with me just like the date of a loved ones passing.
I love James Spader. He’s the best. I had a huge crush on him in the 80′s. He’s done some wacky roles but it shows how good of an actor he is.
Absolutely. I don’t think he’s the run-of-the-mill actor and I do like some of the roles he’s picked, including the upcoming one on The Office.
Thanks for stopping by the blog, Lisa!
You are 100% correct! Is he on prednisone, other drugs and booze, or,as I see it, He just doesn’t give a Sh*t??? Things that make u go hmmmmmmm…..
Haha, maybe a little of everything? The prednisone remark is very funny.
Actually, James does on occasion seem to have some leg or hip issues when you see him walking, especially up and down steps. He was fine when he was on Broadway, but the last two seasons of Boston Legal and now recently on The Ellen Show he was having issues. He bloated in the face very rapidly between season 3 and 4 of BL. At the time several of my friends commented that they suspected he was on Prednisone and I thought the possibility was likely. At the time it looked like the left leg was the problem…now it appears to be the right one.
Obviously I do not wish him ill in health. I’ve been surprised at how many people have wondered (as I did) what was going on with him because people keep finding the post!