Kevin Spacey is one of the charismatic leading men in the industry who made his breakthrough in the 90s. He has starred in some of the most acclaimed and memorable films including Se7en, L.A. Confidential, Pay it Forward, Superman Returns, Margin Call, Baby Driver, and Netflix’s House of Cards. He is one of the rare rare actors who have bagged two Oscars in the industry. He first bagged an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for 1995’s The Usual Suspects.
He would again win a second Oscar for Best Actor for the 1999 Sam Mendes-directed film, American Beauty. When Mendes approached Spacey for the role of Lester Burnham in the film, he was surprised because he had never done such a role that was closer to what he was in real life before. It was also a departure from the kind of roles Spacey was usually seen in.
Kevin Spacey Was Surprised Reading the Script of American Beauty
Kevin Spacey was riding on a high after his first Oscar for The Usual Suspects. He also had many successful and acclaimed films after his win including A Time to Kill. Se7en, L.A. Confidential, and The Negotiator. When Sam Mendes approached Spacey for American Beauty, he was surprised by the type of character he was given to play, which he very much appreciated. He also praised Mendes for his unique touch as a director. He told The New York Times,
“I usually play characters who are very quick, very manipulative, and smart. I usually wade in dark, sort of treacherous waters. This is a man living one step at a time, playing by his instincts. This is actually much closer to me, to what I am, than those other parts. One of the advantages of working with first-time directors is that they don’t have rules, they’re not entrenched in their own style. And as a theatrical director, Sam knows about story, about words, about arc. He knows how to handle the emotional terrain. Add to that he’s a visual stylist. What more could you want?”
Spacey’s performance eventually won him his second Academy Award and the film also became a huge hit, grossing $356 million at the box office. It seems a departure from his usual roles worked in Spacey’s favor and he is now in an honorable league of people who have two Oscars in their career.
Kevin Spacey Receives Standing Ovation at Oxford University
Kevin Spacey, since getting acquitted of all the sexual allegations against him, recently made an appearance at Oxford University. As reported by The Times, the actor received a standing ovation after giving a lecture on cancel culture. He also performed a five-minute scene from William Shakespeare’s play Timon of Athens.
On the work front, Spacey will provide a voice role in the Welsh thriller Control. He will also star in another thriller film called Peter Five Eight.
