James Spader to Star in NBC's Spy Drama 'The Blacklist'

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James Spader

NBC has found its spy guy.

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After fielding multiple offers this pilot season, James Spader has been tapped to star in the network's psychological drama thriller The Blacklist, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

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The pilot revolves around Raymond "Red" Reddington, the world's most-wanted criminal who mysteriously turns himself in and offers to give up everyone he has ever worked with. His only condition is he will only work with a newly minted FBI agent Liz Keen (Blue Bloods' Megan Boone) with whom he seemingly has no connection.

Spader will play Red, who is described as a dignified, worldly and magnetic former Army intelligence offer who went AWOL. He doesn't consider himself to be a spy but instead a facilitator, who brokers deals for criminals and has no allegiance to any country or political agenda -- only the highest bidder.

90210 grad Ryan Eggold will portray Tom, Liz's easy-going husband and the emotional glue that holds the couple together who secretly has betrayed her.

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Jon Bokenkamp (Perfect Stranger) will pen the pilot for Sony Pictures Television and executive produce alongside John Fox, John Davis and John Eisendrath (Alias), the latter of whom will serve as showrunner.

The casting brings Emmy winner Spader back to NBC, where he most recently starred on The Office. Spader (The Practice, Boston Legal, Lincoln) is repped by ICM Partners and Ziffren Brittenham.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit