Kevin Spacey Biography

Kevin Spacey Fowler was born on July 26, 1959 at South Orange, New Jersey, in USA. He was the youngest of three children born to Thomas and Kathleen Fowler. His mother was a personal secretary, his father a technical writer whose irregular job prospects led the family all over the country.

Kevin's early childhood involved a lot of travelling. Finally they settled in southern California where Kevin began his life as a no good nic teen, eventually getting sent to Northride Military Academy.

He was kicked out from the academy. He then attended Chatsworth High School, San Fernando Valley where he began an amateur acting career. It was here that he discovered a talent for acting, which he pursued after leaving school in 1977, going on to study Drama at the Juilliard College in New York.

Following this, he went on to join the New York Shakespeare Festival, to make his professional debut in Henry VI in 1981. His film career did not start until 1986 where he was cast in a small part in Heartburn.

His first chance to grap attention was in the TV series Wizeguy in the following year. Television audiences are familiar with his performance as Clarence Darrow in the American Playhouse film, "Darrow," directed by John Coles. He played similar roles in several later films includinmg Th Usual Suspects in 1995, earning him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Kevin Spacey has been seen in the motion pictures Glengarry Glen Ross, Consenting Adults, Iron Will, The Ref, Outbreak, Swimming With Sharks, Seven, A Time To Kill, Looking For Richard, Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil, L.A. Confidential, Hurlyburly, A Bugs Life, The Big Kahuna and American Beauty.

Most recently he played Hickey in London's Almeida Theatre production of Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh" for director Howard Davies, and made a triumphant return to Broadway with this production as both actor and producer. He made his debut as a film director with the Miramax release "Albino Alligator," starring Matt Dillon, Faye Dunaway and Gary Sinise.

As a producer he is presenting the off-Broadway production of Lee Blessing's "Cobb," opening at the Lucille Lortel Theatre this fall, and continues to work as a director of the Old Vic to raise funds for that theatre's future.

His Trigger Street Productions is producing several film projects as acting and directing vehicles for Spacey, as well as introducing new filmmakers such as Ross Partridge, whose first feature "Interstate 84," was selected for the Toronto Film Festival.

Some Curious Facts about Kevin Spacey:

• He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1999 for Best Actor for his performance in The Iceman Cometh.
• Often played a hidden/surprise character at the end of movie, as he did in films such as 'Se7en', 'Life of David Gale', 'Usual Suspect', 'K-Pax'.
• Studied drama at Juilliard School for 2 years.
• Was expelled from the Northridge Military Academy in California for throwing a tire at a classmate.
• Kevin burnt his sister's tree house down when they were children. This caused his parents to opt for military school.
• He now lives in London, directing the Old Vic theatre.