James Spader: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked
2. Steff - Pretty In Pink (1986)
Arguably the role that kicked it all off, this appearance as p preppy boy Steff McKee in this Brat Pack hit was so convincing that director Howard Deutch reportedly had to overcome his repulsion at the in-character Spader just in order to hire him. Its certainly understandable: Steff is a smug, dismissive, sneering, classist, sexist creep whose crisp linen suits and perfectly coiffed blonde locks radiate self-satisfaction. Generally propped in a corner with a cigarette on his lip, Steffs predatory interest in Molly Ringwalds Andie would be nauseating enough were it not for his seeking to ruin her relationship with his supposed best friend, fellow richie Blaine McDonagh (Andrew McCarthy). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA0OlCQLC0Q While teen comedies like The Breakfast Club were careful to avoid having an outright villain even the authoritarian assistant principal Dick Vernon turns out to be a frustrated sad-sack Steffs dead-eyed contemptuousness and dismissive cruelty, offered under the guise of plain-spokenness, make for an all-too believable antagonist. Love rival Duckies (Jon Spaders) flying tackle, shown above, is long overdue payback So, whether youre Team Blaine or Team Duckie, like Ringwald Team we're all Team Spader for this performance. This beats out Spaders similarly loathsome performance in Less Than Zero simply because he does it here without the hair gel.
