KEVIN SPACEY

Name & Age

Kevin Spacey Fowler, best known as Kevin Spacey, was born on July 26, 1959 in South Orange, New Jersey. As of 2025, he is 65 years old .

Early Life & Family

The youngest of three children, Spacey was raised by a technical writer father at Lockheed and a mother who worked as a secretary . The family relocated to Southern California when he was four. He attended a military academy but was expelled before graduating from Chatsworth High School, where he later became co-valedictorian after switching to a drama-focused path .

Education & Beginnings on Stage

Spacey took his grandmother’s maiden name as his stage surname. He pursued theatre seriously, eventually studying at the prestigious Juilliard School and launching his career on stage during the 1980s .

Rise to Screen Stardom

He began landing on-screen supporting roles, notably in Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). His performance as Roger "Verbal" Kint in The Usual Suspects (1995) earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor . In 1999, he won Best Actor for his portrayal of Lester Burnham in American Beauty . He also starred in films such as Se7en (1995), L.A. Confidential (1997), A Time to Kill (1996), and Beyond the Sea (2004) — a passion project he directed, wrote, produced, and sang in .

Multifaceted Career & Production

Beyond acting, Spacey is a producer and director. He founded Trigger Street Productions in 1997, responsible for including House of Cards, The Social Network, and Captain Phillips among its credits . He also served as artistic director at London's Old Vic, earning a Laurence Olivier Award in 2015 and honorary titles including a CBE and later KBE from the British crown .

Awards & Accolades

Spacey's honors are numerous — two Oscars, a Tony Award for Lost in Yonkers (1991), a Grammy, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, multiple Emmys, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999 .

Recent Work & Controversies

After winning a lifetime achievement award at Cannes in 2025—a moment seen by some as closing a creative chapter—he appeared in the British thriller Control (2023) and directed the supernatural action film Holiguards (2025) . These mark his first ventures back into film following a high-profile pause in 2017.

Legal Challenges & Reputation

In 2017, Spacey's career was disrupted by several allegations of sexual misconduct. While cleared in U.S. and U.K. court cases, his reputation and finances suffered—selling off property and facing canceled roles (notably in House of Cards and All the Money in the World) . His emotional Cannes acceptance speech revealed a sense of exile akin to the McCarthy era .

Kevin Spacey is a remarkable figure: a two-time Oscar winner, Tony and Grammy honoree, celebrated stage leader, actor, and filmmaker whose path has been both spectacular and tumultuous. His comeback efforts in European cinema and upcoming directorial work show his ongoing resilience.