Biography
A chameleonic actor equally at home on stage or in film either as a hero or a villain, Kevin Spacey first gained notice with several strong stage performances both on and off-Broadway. Performing in stage productions of "Ghosts," "Long Day's Journey into Night" and "Hurlyburly" helped pave the way for a feature film career atop the A-list, though his real on-camera start came with his deliciously eccentric performance as a heroin-addicted …
Kevin Spacey SlideShow
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Career Milestones
2011 | Joined the ensemble cast of the financial drama thriller "Margin Call" | |
2011 | Played Jason Bateman's boss in the comedy "Horrible Bosses" | |
2011 | Nominated for the 2011 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy | |
2011 | Nominated for the 2011 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy ("Casino Jack") | |
2010 | Starred as Washington, D.C. lobbyist and businessman Jack Abramoff in "Casino Jack" | |
2009 | Co-starred with George Clooney in "The Men Who Stare At Goats" | |
2009 | Voiced a robot named Gerty in the sci-fi thriller "Moon" | |
2008 | Portrayed Ron Klain, the General Counsel to Al Gore's recount committee in the HBO film "Recount"; also produced; earned Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Best Actor in a TV-Movie | |
2008 | Joined Jeff Goldblum in David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow" at London's Old Vic theater | |
2008 | Cast as an MIT lecturer in the film "21" along with Kate Bosworth and Laurence Fishburne | |
2007 | Co-starred with Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti in the comedy about Santa's disgruntled older brother "Fred Claus" | |
2006 | Cast as the villainous Lex Luthor in Bryan Singer's "Superman Returns" | |
2005 | Appeared on the London stage in the title role of Shakespeare's "Richard II" directed by Trevor Nunn | |
2004 | Helmed "Beyond the Sea," a biopic of singer Bobby Darren, which took Spacey five years to bring to the big screen; received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Lead Actor and a Grammy nomination for Best Soundtrack | |
2003 | Named artistic director of London's historic Old Vic Theater | |
2003 | Produced (also had supporting role) the independent film "United States of Leland" | |
2003 | Played an anti-capital punishment advocate accused of murder in "The Life of David Gale" | |
2002 | Launched the website Triggerstreet.com, an online community where aspiring filmamkers could get their ideas to Hollywood power brokers | |
2002 | Cameoed as himself playing a Hollywood version of Dr. Evil in "Austin Powers: Goldmember" | |
2001 | Had lead in film version of the award-winning novel "The Shipping News" | |
2001 | Starred as a mental patient convinced he's from another planet in "K-Pax" | |
2000 | Co-starred with Helen Hunt in "Pay It Forward" | |
2000 | Agreed to serve as a consultant to London's Old Vic Productions | |
1999 | Produced (also co-starred) "The Big Kahuna"; released theatrically in 2000 | |
1999 | Received star on Hollywood Walk of Fame (October 5) | |
1999 | Garnered critical acclaim and his second Oscar as married man undergoing a mid-life crisis in "American Beauty" | |
1998 | Headlined a London stage production of Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh"; reprised role on Broadway in 1999 | |
| Formed Trigger Street Productions | ||
1997 | Played accused murderer Jim Williams in the film version of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" | |
1997 | Landed strong featured role as a cop in "L.A. Confidential" | |
1996 | Directorial debut, "Albino Alligator" | |
1995 | Breakthrough screen role in Bryan Singer's "The Usual Suspects" | |
1994 | Producing debut, "Swimming With Sharks"; also co-starred as a ruthless Hollywood executive | |
1991 | Garnered accolades for his supporting role as a gangster wannabe in Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers" | |
1990 | Portrayed televangelist Jim Bakker to Bernadette Peters' Tammy Faye in the NBC biopic "Fall From Grace" | |
1989 | Played Lemmon's son-in-law in the feature "Dad" | |
1988 | Had featured role in the NBC miniseries "The Murder of Mary Phagan," starring Gallagher and Lemmon | |
1987 | Recreated stage role for the Showtime adaptation of "Long Day's Journey Into Night" | |
1987 | TV acting debut in a guest role on the CBS series "The Equalizer" | |
1986 | First collaborations with Jack Lemmon and Peter Gallagher, the stage revival of "Long Day's Journey Into Night" | |
1986 | Film debut in the Nichols directed "Heartburn," playing a subway thief who mugs Meryl Streep's character | |
1984 | Acted in the Broadway production of "Hurlyburly"; originally hired as understudy for role of Phil, played by Harvey Keitel; later understudied roles of Mickey and Eddie | |
| Auditioned for the national tour of "The Real Thing"; director Mike Nichols instead suggested auditioning for "Hurlyburly" | ||
| Appeared with numerous regional and repertory companies (i.e., Kennedy Center, American National Theatre, Seattle Rep) | ||
1982 | Broadway debut in a production of Henrik Ibsen's "Ghosts" opposite Liv Ullmann | |
| "Fired" from job at NYSF by Papp in effort to encourage him to pursue an acting career | ||
1981 | New York stage debut as a soldier in New York Shakespeare Festival's "Henry VI, Part I" | |
1981 | Worked for Joseph Papp in the Xerox room of the New York Shakespeare Festival (NYSF) | |
| Auditioned for "The Gong Show" with a comedy routine; was rejected | ||
1978 | Performed one-man comedy show wherein he displayed a gift for impressions | |
| Began performing stand-up comedy while still in high school | ||
1963 | Moved to Southern California with family | |
Awards
2010 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Casino Jack |
2009 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in Recount |
2008 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made For Television Movie in Bernard and Doris |
2008 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Recount |
2008 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor In a Miniseries or Movie in Recount |
2005 | Palm Springs International Film Festival for Sonny Bono Visionary Award |
2004 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Beyond the Sea |
2001 | BAFTA Award for Actor In a Leading Role in The Shipping News |
2001 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama in The Shipping News |
2000 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in American Beauty |
2000 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in American Beauty |
1999 | BAFTA Award for Actor In a Leading Role in American Beauty |
1999 | Academy Award for Actor In a Leading Role in American Beauty |
1999 | Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor International in American Beauty |
1999 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama in American Beauty |
1998 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in L.A. Confidential |
1997 | BAFTA Award for Actor In a Leading Role in L.A. Confidential |
1997 | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor in L.A. Confidential |
1996 | MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in Seven |
1996 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead in Swimming With Sharks |
1996 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in The Usual Suspects |
1995 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor |
1995 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor in Outbreak |
1995 | Academy Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in The Usual Suspects |
1995 | Seattle International Film Festival for Best Actor Golden Space Needle Award in The Usual Suspects |
1995 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in The Usual Suspects |
1995 | National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor in The Usual Suspects |
1995 | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor in The Usual Suspects |
1991 | Tony Award for Actor (Featured Role--Play) |