Spader Took Pretty In Pink Role To Pay Bills

Spader rose to fame in 1986 when he starred opposite Molly Ringwald and Andrew MCCarthy in the movie, about social cliques in 1980s U.S. high schools.

The actor was part of a tribute to the late writer/director at Sunday's (07Mar10) Academy Awards.

But Spader admits he didn't watch the telecast, and doesn't understand why he's become such an influence in American pop culture.

He says, "It's funny, you do films, or a TV show, or anything through the course of your career, and your perception of it is so different than anyone else's. For me, I'll do a job because the rent is due and it's just the job. Then you meet someone 20 years later and they say, 'Oh, I saw this film and it was such an important part of my life growing up.'

"It's part of their pop culture growing up and to you it was just a blink. That film was like that... I have no memory of it."