Megan Boone and James Spader star in “The Blacklist”

Wherever James Spader goes, he seems to have a knack for doing great things. Whether it's winning three Emmys for his portrayal as the brilliant Alan Shore in "Boston Legal," starring as the obnoxious Steff in "Pretty in Pink" (1986), or nabbing the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in the 1989 film "Sex, Lies, and Videotape," he's got a history of stellar work.

He continues his string of solid performances in the NBC crime drama "The Blacklist." The show emerged in 2013 to widespread acclaim, with many critics giving Spader the nod for his portrayal of Raymond "Red" Reddington. A new episode airs Thursday, Nov. 12, on NBC.

Like many of his past characters, Spader's Red is a complicated person -- after years of successfully avoiding FBI capture, the former Navy officer turned himself in and promised the agency a blacklist of the world's most dangerous criminals. There was one caveat, though: he would only work with rookie FBI profiler Liz Keen, played by Megan Boone ("My Bloody Valentine," 2009).

Life imitates art in a way, as Boone was a sort-of rookie when she landed her role in "The Blacklist." She had a seven-episode guest arc in the short-lived "Law & Order: Los Angeles" and has had bit parts in shows such as "Cold Case" and "Blue Bloods," but this was her first major role in a network TV series.

As if that wasn't pressure enough, she was thrown into the ring with an actor of Spader's caliber, where things easily could have gone off the rails if the on-screen -- and off-screen, for that matter -- chemistry didn't work. Luckily, according to both Spader and Boone, that wasn't the case.

"I think [our dynamic]'s grown in the same way that the relationship between the two characters has grown," Spader told ET Canada of the connection between himself and Boone. "I just see a parallel there."

"He's very unique. I've never met anyone like him," Boone said of her counterpart in an interview with News Corp Australia. "But it is a profound work relationship, because there is a bond that is very unique. You don't really have a relationship like this with anyone in life, because it's so intense. The work we do together is very heightened -- it requires a lot of trust. It also requires a diligence in maintaining the right off-screen relationship to make sure it still works on-screen."

Boone isn't the only one who has praise for Spader. Diego Klattenhoff ("Homeland") plays FBI Special Agent Donald Ressler, who tracked Red for most of his career until the most wanted man turned himself in. He explained to Collider in 2013 how admirable Spader's work ethic is.

"He's such a fiercely intellectual, consummate professional who is so well prepared, going in to do a scene, that you just have to nod and take note," he said. "Some actors like to just walk in and feel it out. He has everything worked out for a reason, and you can't do anything but admire it, take note, and then get in there and duke it out with him."

Diego Klattenhoff as seen in “The Blacklist”

It's amazing to think that, despite all of the high praise from castmates and critics alike, Spader has still been passed over twice in recent years (and once during his "Boston Legal" time) for a Best Actor in a Television Drama Series Golden Globe. In 2013, he and three others lost to Bryan Cranston, who won the award for his turn as Walter White in the grossly successful AMC series "Breaking Bad." In 2014, he was among four men who lost to Kevin Spacey's Francis Underwood from "House of Cards."

That's not to say that he won't eventually take home the prestigious award -- Cranston was nominated thrice before he finally took home his Golden Globe. It's quite possible that Spader will be nominated again this year, but we won't know for sure for another month. Submissions for TV and movie nominees were due at the end of October, and the nominees for the 73rd Golden Globe Awards -- which covers films and television from 2015 -- will be announced Thursday, Dec. 10. (The awards show will be broadcast live Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016, from Beverly Hills, California.)

Still, Spader is a respected presence on TV and amongst his peers, commanding a set or a scene wherever he goes. From his time as Steff in "Pretty in Pink" (1986) to Alan Shore in "Boston Legal" to his current role as Red Reddington in "The Blacklist," his shows have seen success, often because of his work ethic and phenomenal performance. Catch a glimpse of this genius when a new episode of "The Blacklist" airs Thursday, Nov. 12, on NBC.