Carnal Knowledge

It's pointed out that he could well be describing James Ballard, his character in Crash. "That was such a fascinating figure to me," says Spader. "He was voracious—this odd man who seemed gentle and unassuming but had a ravenous curiosity, and was hurling himself headlong down this path in the most oddly reflective sort of way."

Spader likewise sees himself as an insatiable adventurer. "The work that interests me has got to be foreign enough that I'm curious enough to get at it," he says. "I tend to not be drawn to things that are familiar. I like to travel, in more ways than one, get a little further from what might feel like home. And sexuality is something you can find your way in, even if it seems utterly foreign at first. If you just try it on, as much as you're loath to admit it, it might fit. To find something that seems garish and pink—to put it on, and find that it fits, that's sort of thrilling." He pauses, slips into one of his silent reveries, then lets out a soft chuckle. "Though red might be a better color than pink."

photo: Robin Holland

Secretary's James Spader: 67 varieties

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More About

• Secretary (Movie)
• James Spader
• Pretty in Pink
• Less Than Zero
• Crash (1996)