5 things you might not know about 'The Blacklist'

If you haven’t seen at least one episode of NBC’s The Blacklist, you’re missing out. This drama, which comes on after The Voice on Monday nights, is currently on its first season and has had stellar ratings. However, there are a few things about the show that are unknown.

The Blacklist follows the story of criminal and traitor Reddington (James Spader), who recently turned himself into the FBI. He told the FBI that he will give them members of “The Blacklist,” but he will only work with FBI analyst Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone) because she is special. “The Blacklist” is not only made up of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives but also criminals that Reddington states that are even more dangerous.

While there have been no definite facts, the viewers currently question the mysterious relationship between Reddington and Keen. Keen doesn’t know him but Reddington calls her Lizzy, the nickname that her husband and family call her. Throughout the series, Keen has become closer with Reddington, adding suspicious that he might be her biological father.

The Blacklist shows on NBC and, as of now, is a must watch. It can be compared to Silence of the Lambs but less horror and more thrill. Below are five facts that you probably didn’t know about it.

5. The show’s creator, Jon Bokenkamp, also wrote the stories for The Call and Perfect Stranger

Because the show is so thrilling, it is no surprise that the creator also wrote other, equally shocking, projects. The Call and Perfect Stranger were both films that starred Halle Berry. The Call follows the story of a 911 operator who tries to find a kidnapped girl. Perfect Stranger tells the tale of a journalist who goes undercover to catch a businessman who killed her friend.

Bokenkamp graduated from the USC School of Cinema-Television in 1995 and has been credited in writing stories for four different projects. He is also an executive producer for The Blacklist.

Image Courtesy of Wiki Commons

4. Three of the main cast members had roles on ER

Image Courtesy of NBC

Like The Blacklist, the television show ER showed on NBC. ER followed the story of an actual emergency room and everything that it involved. ER what gave George Clooney his big break, as well as Julianna Margulies.

Harry Lennix, who plays Harold Cooper on The Blacklist, appeared in six episode of the medical drama as Dr. Greg Fischer. Parminder Nagra, Agent Margot Malik, was a regular cast member on ER from 2003-2009. She played Neela Rasgotra. Diego Klattenhoff, who plays Agent Ressler, was only on one episode.

3. James Spader, who plays Red, has a photographic memory

Image Courtesy of Wiki Commons
James Spader has a lead role on an NBC show, he’s the new villain for The Avengers and he has a photographic memory? That seems pretty unfair.

Spader, who plays the role of Reddington, the antihero of The Blacklist, got his start in the comedy Pretty in Pink and also got a role in Boston Legal. He is known for playing villains and darker characters. He also has been casted as the Ultron in the new Avengers film, set to release in 2015.

According to TheInsider.com, Spader’s photographic memories allows him to look at a script and know exactly what it says so that, when filming, he can read the page in his mind while filming.

2. Diego Klattenhoff, who plays Agent Ressler, was in Mean Girls

That’s right, Agent Ressler was Shane Oman, the boy that Regina George (Rachel McAdams) cheated with. Klattenhoff told The Huffington Post that, while people recognized him for his role on Homeland, teen girls sat outside his trailer just to say hi.

“I was just surprised that 10 years later -- it's been 10 years since we started shooting in Toronto -- and it's still relevant and it's still a great movie," he told The Huffington Post in September.

Checkout nearly naked Klattenhoff in the clip below.

1. Elizabeth’s hair is actually a wig

Image Courtesy of Wiki Commons

Megan Boone, who plays, Elizabeth, actually has short hair. She said that it was “a character choice” because she felt that it gave her character a “more naïve, young look,” according to Zap2it.

When appearing on the Today Show, Boone stated that she thought that it was great to be able to take the wig off at the end of the day and leave work behind her. Though, according to a survey taken by Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, viewers favor the long locks over her pixie cut.