List of The Blacklist characters

The Blacklist is an American crime drama television series that premiered on NBC on September 23, 2013. Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader), a former government agent turned high-profile criminal, who had eluded capture for decades, voluntarily surrenders to the FBI, offering to cooperate on capturing a list of criminals who are virtually impossible to catch. He insists on working with a rookie profiler by the name of Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone). The show also stars Diego Klattenhoff, Ryan Eggold and Harry Lennix. The pilot episode was written by Jon Bokenkamp and directed by Joe Carnahan. Executive producers for the series include Bokenkamp, John Eisendrath, and John Davis for Sony Pictures Television, Universal Television, and Davis Entertainment. In February 2015, The Blacklist was renewed for a third season, with Hisham Tawfiq promoted to main cast.

Portrayed by James Spader

Raymond "Red" Reddington is a former government agent, presumed to be a member of the United States Navy; and number 4 on the FBI's Most Wanted List. A U.S. Naval Academy graduate, he once worked in US counterintelligence and was being groomed for Admiral when something happened on his way home for the Christmas holidays. Nicknamed "the concierge of crime", Reddington is known for brokering deals between criminals. He willfully surrenders to the FBI and provides information on a roster of criminals that he refers to as The Blacklist: dangerous criminals who are so careful to avoid leaving any traces behind that the FBI has not even detected their existence. His ethics are somewhat murky, and he espouses the use of some crimes (such as extortion, counterfeiting, torture, and murder) in the service of "the greater good". He uses his arrangement with the FBI to pursue his own secret agenda; it was revealed that he needed their help to find Berlin, a mysterious nemesis who had been attacking his organization.

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