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'''Kevin Spacey'''(born [[July 26]] [[1959]]) is an [[Academy award]] winning [[United States|American]] [[actor]] ([[film]] and [[theatre|stage]]) and [[Film director|director]]. Spacey grew up in [[California]], and began his career as a [[stage actor]] during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television. He gained critical acclaim in the early 1990s, culminating in his first [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] for 1995's ''[[The Usual Suspects]]'' (Supporting), followed by a [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor Oscar]] win for 1999's ''[[American Beauty (1999 film)|American Beauty]]''. Spacey has starred in many other [[Hollywood]] films including ''[[Se7en]]'', ''[[Pay It Forward]]'', ''[[L.A. Confidential (film)|L.A. Confidential]]'', and as the villain [[Lex Luthor]] in ''[[Superman Returns]]''. Since 2003, he has been artistic director of the Old Vic theater in London. |
'''Kevin Spacey'''(born [[July 26]] [[1959]]) is an [[Academy award]] winning [[United States|American]] [[actor]] ([[film]] and [[theatre|stage]]) and [[Film director|director]]. Spacey grew up in [[California]], and began his career as a [[stage actor]] during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television. He gained critical acclaim in the early 1990s, culminating in his first [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] for 1995's ''[[The Usual Suspects]]'' (Supporting), followed by a [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor Oscar]] win for 1999's ''[[American Beauty (1999 film)|American Beauty]]''. Spacey has starred in many other [[Hollywood]] films including ''[[Se7en]]'', ''[[Pay It Forward]]'', ''[[L.A. Confidential (film)|L.A. Confidential]]'', and as the villain [[Lex Luthor]] in ''[[Superman Returns]]''. Since 2003, he has been artistic director of the [[Old Vic]] theater in London. |
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==Biography== |
==Biography== |
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Revision as of 11:25, 31 March 2008
Kevin Spacey | |
|---|---|
 Kevin Spacey at the Monaco Grand Prix, 2006 | |
| Born | Kevin Spacey Fowler |
| Awards | NYFCC Award for Best Supporting Actor 1995 Se7en ; The Usual Suspects ; Swimming with Sharks ; Outbreak |
Kevin Spacey(born July 26 1959) is an Academy award winning American actor (film and stage) and director. Spacey grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television. He gained critical acclaim in the early 1990s, culminating in his first Oscar for 1995's The Usual Suspects (Supporting), followed by a Best Actor Oscar win for 1999's American Beauty. Spacey has starred in many other Hollywood films including Se7en, Pay It Forward, L.A. Confidential, and as the villain Lex Luthor in Superman Returns. Since 2003, he has been artistic director of the Old Vic theater in London.
Biography
Early life
Spacey was born Kevin Spacey Fowler[1] or Kevin Matthew Fowler[2] in South Orange, New Jersey, the son of Kathleen A. (née Spacey; 5 December 1931 – 19 March 2003), a secretary, and Thomas Geoffrey Fowler (4 June 1924 – Atlanta, Georgia, 24 December 1992), a technical writer. He has two older siblings: a sister, Julie, and a brother, Randy. His father, who has been alleged by Fox News to have been a member of the American Nazi Party,[3] was often unemployed, causing the family to move frequently, eventually settling in Southern California in 1963.
Spacey attended Northridge Military Academy after he set his sister's treehouse on fire, but was asked to leave after throwing a tire at another student at the academy, and subsequently attended Chatsworth High School in Chatsworth, California. In the twelfth grade, he starred in the school's senior production of The Sound of Music, playing the part of Captain Georg von Trapp, opposite Maria (played by Mare Winningham). While in high school, he took his mother's maiden name, "Spacey" (originally a Welsh name, belonging to his great-great-grandfather, spelled "Spacy"), as his acting surname.[4] Several reports have incorrectly suggested that he took the name in tribute to actor Spencer Tracy, combining Tracy's first and last names.[4]
Spacey had tried to succeed as a stand-up comedian for several years,[5] before attending the Juilliard School in New York City, where he studied drama, between 1979 and 1981. During this time period, Spacey performed stand-up comedy in bowling alley talent contests.[5]
Career
Spacey's first professional stage appearance was as a messenger in a New York Shakespeare Festival performance of Henry VI, part 1 in 1981. The following year he made his first Broadway appearance in a production of Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts. He made his first major television appearance in the second season premiere of Crime Story, playing a Kennedy-esque American senator. Although his interest soon turned to film, Spacey remained actively involved in the live theater community. In 1991, he won a Tony Award for his portrayal of "Uncle Louie" in Neil Simon's Broadway hit Lost in Yonkers. Spacey's father was unconvinced that Spacey could make a career for himself as an actor, and did not change his mind until Spacey became a well known theatre actor.[5]
Some of Spacey's earlier roles include a widowed eccentric millionaire on L.A. Law, the made-for-television film The Murder of Mary Phagan (1988) opposite Jack Lemmon, and the Richard Pryor/Gene Wilder-starring comedy See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989). Spacey earned an avid fan base following after playing the criminally insane arms dealer Mel Profitt on the television series Wiseguy. He quickly developed a reputation as a character actor, and was cast in bigger roles, including one-half of the bickering Connecticut couple in the dark comedy The Ref (1994), a malicious Hollywood studio boss in the satire Swimming with Sharks, and the put-upon office manager in the all-star ensemble film Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), gaining him positive notices by critics.
In 1995, Spacey appeared in Se7en with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, making a sudden and unexpected entrance late in the film as the serial killer John Doe after going unmentioned in the film's ads and opening credits.
The crippled criminal Verbal Kint in The Usual Suspects launched him to A-list status and won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 1996, Spacey played an egomaniacal district attorney in A Time to Kill, and founded Trigger Street Productions in 1997 with the purpose of producing and developing entertainment across various media. In 1996 he made his directorial debut with the film Albino Alligator. The film was a failure at the box office but Spacey's direction was praised.
Spacey won universal praise and a Best Actor Oscar for his role as a depressed suburban father who re-evaluates his life in 1999's American Beauty; the same year, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Spacey also earned another Tony nomination the same year for his work in a Broadway production of "The Iceman Cometh". During the several years following American Beauty's release, Spacey appeared in films that he believes "hadn't done as well critically or in terms of box office".[6] He played a physically and emotionally scarred grade school teacher in Pay It Forward, a patient in a mental institution who may or may not be an alien in K-Pax, and singer Bobby Darin in Beyond the Sea.
Beyond The Sea was a lifelong dream project for Spacey, who took on co-writing, directing, and starring duties in the biography/musical about Darin's life, career, and relationship with late actress Sandra Dee. Spacey provided his own vocals on the Beyond the Sea soundtrack and appeared in several tribute concerts around the time of the film's release. He received mostly positive reviews for his singing, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for his performance. However, reviewers criticized the age disparity between Spacey and Darin, noting that Spacey was too old to convincingly portray him.[6] Spacey has said that despite criticism, he is still proud of the film.[6]
Spacey's most recent film role is as the nefarious Lex Luthor in the Bryan Singer-directed superhero film, Superman Returns. It recently was confirmed he will return in the sequel, scheduled for 2009. Spacey also appeared in Edison Force (originally titled Edison), co-starring Morgan Freeman and Justin Timberlake; Edison Force received a direct-to-video release on July 18, 2006.
In his latest movie he was seen as an MIT lecturer in the film "21", along with Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, and Jim Sturgess. The film is based on Ben Mezrich's best seller, Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, a story of student MIT card-counters who used mathematical probability to aid them in card games such as Black Jack.
In 2001, Spacey co-hosted with Dame Judi Dench Unite for the Future Gala, the UK's fundraiser for the British Victims of 9/11 and Medecins Sans Frontieres at London's Old Vic Theatre, produced by Harvey Goldsmith and Dominic Madden. Spacey hosted the long-running NBC sketch show Saturday Night Live twice: once in 1997 with musical guest Beck and special guests Michael Palin and John Cleese from Monty Python's Flying Circus (where Spacey impersonated Christopher Walken, Walter Matthau, and Jack Lemmon in a three-part pre-taped sketch about actors who auditioned for the original Star Wars movie) and again in the last episode of the 31st season with musical guest Nelly Furtado (where Spacey played a detective in the sketch "Two A-Holes At A Crime Scene," one of the Falconer's past selves in Will Forte's "The Falconer" sketch, Neil Young in a fake commercial for a new album with songs by musicians who are against George W. Bush and his administration, and as himself in a "The Usual Suspects" parody where Andy Samberg lies to Spacey as to why he's late to the show).
Spacey is well-known in Hollywood for his skillful impersonations– when he appeared on Inside the Actors Studio he imitated, at host James Lipton's request: Jimmy Stewart, Johnny Carson, Katharine Hepburn, Clint Eastwood, John Gielgud, Marlon Brando, Christopher Walken, Al Pacino and Jack Lemmon.
Capitol/EMI's "Forever Cool" (2007) features two duets with Spacey and the voice of the late Dean Martin: "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" and "King of the Road."
The Old Vic
In February 2003, Spacey announced that he was returning to London to become the artistic director of the Old Vic, one of the city's oldest theatres.[7] Appearing at a press conference alongside (among others) Dame Judi Dench and Sir Elton John, he promised both to appear on stage and to bring in big-name talent.[8] Spacey undertook to remain in the post for a full ten years. He thus became the first Artistic Director of the newly formed Old Vic Theatre Company, which stages shows eight months out of the year. Its first season, starting in September 2004,[9] opened with the British premiere of the play Cloaca by Maria Goos, directed by Spacey, which opened to mixed reviews.[9] In the 2005 season, Spacey made his UK Shakespearean debut, to good notices, in the title role of Richard II (directed by Trevor Nunn).[9]
After that, in mid 2006, Spacey noted that he was "having the time of [his] life"[10] working at the Old Vic, and explained that at this point in his career, he felt that he was "trying to do things now that are much bigger than myself and outside of myself". He performed in productions of National Anthems by Dennis McIntyre, and The Philadelphia Story by Philip Barry in which he played the role made famous by Cary Grant in the film version. Critics applauded Spacey's daring for taking on the management of a theatre, but noted that while his acting was impressive, his skills and judgment as a producer/manager had yet to develop. However in the 2006 season, Spacey suffered a humiliating failure with a production of Resurrection Blues, a little-known Arthur Miller play, directed by film director Robert Altman.[11] Despite an all-star Hollywood cast (including Neve Campbell and Matthew Modine) and the pedigree of Miller's script, Spacey's decision to lure Altman to the stage proved disastrous: after a fraught rehearsal period, the play opened to a critical panning, and closed only a few weeks into its run.[10] Spacey resurrected his game later in the year, starring in Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten along with Colm Meaney and Eve Best. The play received excellent reviews for Spacey and Best, and was transferred to Broadway in 2007.
For the spring part of the 2007-8 season American film actor Jeff Goldblum and British Laura Michelle Kelly joined Spacey as the three characters in David Mamet's 1988 play Speed-the-Plow.[12]
Spacey was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by London South Bank University in November 2005.[13]
Personal life
Spacey is a friend of former President Bill Clinton, having met Clinton before his presidency began.[5] Spacey has described Clinton as "one of the shining lights" of the political process.[5] According to Federal Election Commission data, Spacey has contributed $42,000 to Democratic candidates and committees.[14] He additionally had a cameo appearance in President Clinton: Final Days, a light-hearted political satire produced by the Clinton administration for the White House Correspondents Dinner.[15]
In September 2006, Spacey announced his intention to stay on at the Old Vic for at least another nine years, and that due to his continuing UK residency he intends to take up British citizenship when it becomes available to him.[16]
There has been persistent speculation about Spacey's sexual orientation, fueled by a 1997 Esquire article on the actor, which implied he was gay.[17] Spacey denied the allegation, telling Playboy magazine that the story "...was a setup."[18] While Spacey is a bachelor and reticent about his personal life, he has consistently asserted that he is heterosexual.[19]
In September 2007, Spacey met Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez. Neither of them spoke to the press about their encounter, but hours later the actor visited the publicly funded movie studio, Cinema Villa.[20] Later in December he was co-hosting the Nobel Peace Prize Concert together with Uma Thurman.[21]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Heartburn | Subway Thief | First Motion Picture |
| 1988 | Working Girl | Bob Speck | |
| Rocket Gibraltar | Dwayne Hanson | ||
| Wiseguy | Mel Profitt | television series | |
| 1989 | Dad | Mario | |
| See No Evil, Hear No Evil | Kirgo | ||
| 1991 | Henry & June | Richard Osborn | |
| A Show of Force | Frank Curtin | ||
| 1992 | Consenting Adults | Eddy Otis | |
| Glengarry Glen Ross | John Williamson | ||
| 1994 | The Ref | Lloyd Chasseur | |
| Iron Will | Harry Kingsley | ||
| 1995 | Se7en | John Doe | MTV Movie Award for Best Villain |
| The Usual Suspects | Roger 'Verbal' Kint | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor | |
| Swimming with Sharks | Buddy Ackerman | co-producer | |
| Outbreak | Maj. Casey Schuler | ||
| 1996 | Looking for Richard | Himself, Duke of Buckingham | |
| A Time to Kill | D.A. Rufus Buckley | ||
| 1997 | Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil | James 'Jim' Williams | |
| L.A. Confidential | Det. Sgt. Jack Vincennes | ||
| Albino Alligator | director only | ||
| 1998 | Hurlyburly | Mickey | |
| The Negotiator | Lt. Chris Sabian | ||
| A Bug's Life | Hopper (voice) | ||
| 1999 | American Beauty | Lester Burnham | Academy Award for Best Actor |
| 2000 | Pay It Forward | Eugene Simonet | |
| The Big Kahuna | Larry Mann | also producer | |
| 2001 | The Shipping News | Quoyle | |
| K-PAX | prot/Robert Porter | ||
| Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure | Narrator (voice) | ||
| 2002 | Austin Powers in Goldmember | Himself (playing Doctor Evil in a film) | |
| 2003 | The Life of David Gale | David Gale | |
| Ordinary Decent Criminal | Michael Lynch | also producer / direct-to-video release | |
| 2004 | Beyond the Sea | Bobby Darin | also director/writer/producer |
| The United States of Leland | Albert T. Fitzgerald | also producer | |
| 2006 | Edison Force | Wallace | direct-to-video |
| Superman Returns | Lex Luthor | ||
| 2007 | Fred Claus | Clyde Northcut | |
| 2008 | 21 | Mickey Rosa | |
| Telstar | Major Banks | post-production | |
| Recount | Ron Klain | post-production | |
| The Trial of the Chicago 7 | TBA | pre-production | |
| 2009 | Superman: The Man of Steel | Lex Luthor | pre-production |
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Other notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Beyond the Sea | accompanying the release of film of same name |
Singles
| Year | Title | Other notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "That Old Black Magic" | from the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil soundtrack |
Live performances
- "Mind Games" - Come Together: A Night For John Lennon's Words & Music - 02.Oct.2001 - Radio City Music Hall
References
- ^ Paul Fischer (2001-10-20). "The Alien World Of Kevin Spacey". FilmMonthly. Archived from the original on 2007-01-24. Retrieved 2006-07-02.
- ^ William Addams Reitwiesner. "Ancestry of Kevin Spacey". Retrieved 2007-12-29.
- ^ Roger Friedman (April 28, 2004). "Kevin Spacey's Family Secrets Are Out". FOX News.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Jonathan Soroff. "Soroff/On Kevin Spacey". The Improper Bostonian.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e Andrew Denton. "Kevin Spacey". ABC TV.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c "Kev's in full swing". The Sunday Mail.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)[dead link] - ^ "Spacey 'to run Old Vic'". BBC News. 3 February 2003.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Spacey becomes London theatre boss". BBC News. 6 February 2003.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c ""A Brief History of the Old Vic"".
- ^ a b Sarah Lyall (May 29, 2006). "Beyond a Sea of Criticism, All's Well for Kevin Spacey at Old Vic". New York Times.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Spacey defends Old Vic management". BBC News. 13 April 2006.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Goldblum to join Spacey in the Old Vic's Speed-the-Plow". The Stage. 10 December 2007.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Honorary degrees for Kevin Spacey and the Bishop". londonse1 community website. 11 November 2005.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Kevin Spacey's Campaign Contribution Report". NewsMeat.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "President Clinton: Final Days (2000)". New York Times.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Chris Hastings (2006-09-10). "Spacey sets the stage for nine years at the Old Vic". The Daily Telegraph.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ James Surowiecki (15 October 1997). "Is Kevin Spacey gay? Who cares? Esquire readers!". SALON.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Reiter, Amy (2 September 1999). "Beating around a Bush". SALON.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Spacey: I'm not gay". BBC NEWS. 2 January 2000.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Kevin Spacey Meets With Hugo Chavez". The Huffington Post. September 25, 2007.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Nobel Peace Prize Concert 2007". nobelpeaceprize.org. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
External links
- Kevin Spacey at IMDb
- Kevin Spacey's exclusive online world premier of "The Interrogation of Leo and Lisa" on May 16th 2007
- Interview with Kevin Spacey from April 2007
- Kevin Spacey interview in the UK Independent on Sunday
- Kevin Spacey's theater play for IWC "Interrogating Leo and Lisa"
- Leading Men Working in the Theatre interview video at American Theatre Wing, May 2007
- Articles with dead external links from December 2007
- 1959 births
- Actors Studio alumni
- American expatriates in the United Kingdom
- American film actors
- American film directors
- American stage actors
- American theatre directors
- Americans of Welsh descent
- BAFTA winners (people)
- Best Actor Academy Award winners
- Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners
- Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Juilliard School alumni
- Living people
- New Jersey actors
- People associated with London South Bank University
- People from Essex County, New Jersey
- Tony Award winners