Kevin Spacey Quotes

Powerful Kevin Spacey for Daily Growth

About Kevin Spacey

Kevin Spacey Fowler, globally recognized as Kevin Spacey, is an acclaimed American actor, film director, producer, and singer born on July 26, 1959, in South Orange, New Jersey. Spacey's love for acting was ignited at a young age, performing with the Old Bridge Theatre Company while still in high school. His professional journey commenced with minor roles before he earned his first major breakthrough in the 1986 Broadway revival of "Long Day's Journey into Night." In 1991, Spacey moved to Hollywood and rapidly gained recognition for his role as Roger "Verbal" Kint (also known as Keyser Söze) in the critically acclaimed film, "The Usual Suspects" (1995), which earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His captivating portrayal of President John F. Kennedy in "Parkland" (2013) and his role as former U.S. Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and CIA Director Robert S. McNamara in "Chicago 7" (2020), further solidified his status as a versatile actor. Spacey's contribution to the small screen includes portraying Francis Underwood in the Netflix political drama series "House of Cards," for which he won three Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. His work behind the camera encompasses directing films such as "Recount" (2008) and "Albion: The Enchanted Stallion" (2016). Throughout his career, Spacey has been recognized with numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, three Emmys, and a Tony Award. Aside from acting, he is also known for his advocacy of the performing arts and support for various charitable organizations. In 2015, he became the artistic director of The Old Vic theatre in London.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I don't know what success means, I just want to do good work."

In this quote, Kevin Spacey expresses a sentiment that points towards his focus being on the quality and integrity of his work rather than the materialistic or societal definition of success. He is suggesting that he doesn't measure his life achievements by external markers like fame, wealth, or recognition, but by the intrinsic value and quality of the work he produces. This mindset emphasizes personal growth and fulfillment over societal expectations, encouraging individuals to strive for excellence in their respective fields while staying true to themselves.


"The great thing about being an actor is that you can hide in plain sight."

Kevin Spacey's quote suggests that acting allows individuals to mask their true selves, creating a facade while still being visible to others. The actor, in essence, can blend into society unnoticed by hiding behind the character they portray. This is "great" because it provides an opportunity for actors to explore various aspects of humanity, emotions, and experiences without revealing their personal identity or vulnerabilities.


"Acting is not about being someone different. It's finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding ourselves in there."

The quote emphasizes that acting isn't about transforming into a completely different character; instead, it's about discovering the shared humanity between oneself and the role. It suggests that every character has unique traits but also possesses qualities that resonate with our own human experiences. By finding these similarities, actors can authentically portray characters and, in doing so, reveal aspects of themselves to the audience. This interpretation underscores the idea that acting is an exploration of shared humanity through individual stories.


"You're only as good as your last job."

The quote "You're only as good as your last job" signifies that one's worth, particularly in professional or creative fields, is determined solely by the most recent work they have produced. It emphasizes that past successes may be appreciated and remembered, but future opportunities are often judged based on the quality of the latest effort. This quote encourages continuous improvement and dedication to maintaining high standards in one's work.


"Sometimes it takes a great disaster to put your life back together again."

This quote suggests that sometimes, significant negative events or disasters can serve as catalysts for personal growth and rebuilding one's life. The hardship and turmoil caused by the disaster force us to reevaluate our priorities, values, and perspectives, ultimately leading to a more meaningful and resilient life.


If you haven't turned rebel by twenty you've got no heart; if you haven't turned establishment by thirty you've got no brains!

- Kevin Spacey

Age, Brains, Turned, Rebel

Both 'Consenting Adults' and 'Glengarry Glen Ross' revolve around the economic stresses of the '90s. They are about what people do when they're pushed against that wall, and how they're manipulated. They are both morality tales, though in very different genres.

- Kevin Spacey

Against, Very, About, Stresses

A British director directed 'American Beauty,' an important film about American life, and it didn't matter. What only mattered was everyone's sensibility.

- Kevin Spacey

Beauty, Mattered, Directed, Sensibility

I mean we all played as kids. You play games, you take on different characters, you imitate; the fun and the love of play has never left me.

- Kevin Spacey

Love, Play, Played, Different Characters

Francis Underwood was entirely based on Richard III. When Michael Dobbs wrote 'House of Cards' in the original British series, Richard III is what he based the character on.

- Kevin Spacey

Cards, Richard, Based, III

What I like about Britain is that I can live a normal life here.

- Kevin Spacey

Normal, Here, Britain, Normal Life

As long as we, in the United States, continue to insist that our politicians have to spend all of their time raising millions of dollars for television ads, it will be corrupt. If we leave it up to the politicians to clean up lobbying and finance reform, nothing is going to change.

- Kevin Spacey

United, Clean Up, Dollars, Insist

I became a bit of a jerk. A kind of a nasty jerk.

- Kevin Spacey

Kind, Became, Jerk, Nasty

When you're just able to distill it down to the idea and the feeling that a character is experiencing in a scene, it can become very, very razor sharp and really clean and really efficient and simple. And sometimes it takes twenty-five years to learn how to be simple.

- Kevin Spacey

Sometimes, Idea, Very, Razor

I don't play villainy. I wouldn't even know how to play it.

- Kevin Spacey

Play, How, Even, Villainy

I've been on sets where things weren't relaxed because someone was creating tension for no reason.

- Kevin Spacey

Reason, Been, Tension, Relaxed

Clarence Darrow was a unique and courageous man. Several of my favourite actors have played Darrow... Henry Fonda, Orson Welles and Spencer Tracy.

- Kevin Spacey

Spencer Tracy, Spencer, None

People have really long attention spans, and they love complicated plots. TV series are giving the audience what they want.

- Kevin Spacey

Love, Audience, TV, Spans

For years, particularly with the advent of the Internet, people have been griping about lessening attention spans.

- Kevin Spacey

Been, Attention Spans, Spans

I remember meeting the likes of Johnny Carson and Jimmy Stewart for the first time and being completely starstruck.

- Kevin Spacey

I Remember, Johnny Carson, Johnny

Edward Norton and I have known each other awhile. I just think he's the real deal, supremely talented and smart. He's got a great sense of humor.

- Kevin Spacey

Think, Other, Great Sense, Supremely

I liked it because it was such a dangerous script and showed just what human beings are capable of. Here was a movie in which Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, who always win in every movie they ever do, simply don't win. I felt that was outrageous for a commercial movie.

- Kevin Spacey

Here, Movie, Commercial, Morgan

Where the gaming world is going - and certainly Activision proved it by hiring me - is being willing to push and bend and move in a new direction of actually capturing the character and storytelling.

- Kevin Spacey

New, Gaming, Certainly, Capturing

You can almost hear people saying, 'We're going to make a movie about an election' and 'We're going to make a movie about a lobbyist.' You can hear the yawning start across the nation.

- Kevin Spacey

Election, Movie, Almost, Hear People

I was not a studious kid, and I struggled to find things that would command my attention and engage my ideas and energies.

- Kevin Spacey

Kid, Studious, Struggled, Energies

I was on a couple of scholarships. I had a job in the school administrative office. I had a job as a hat-check boy in a restaurant. I had another job as an assistant to a casting director. It took a lot to get myself enough money to put myself through Juilliard.

- Kevin Spacey

Through, Another, Couple, Enough Money

The fact is that HBO is doing the kind of films and the kind of stories that the movie industry used to do. You look at a lot of the specialty sections of studios that have gone under... and there's no doubt in my mind why filmmakers and screenwriters and actors are ending up at a place like HBO. They do it better than anybody.

- Kevin Spacey

Doing, Fact, Specialty, HBO

I've been intrigued by politics my whole life. And, yes, I am very close to the Clintons. I was a Hillary person until I was an Obama person. And she was a Hillary person, too, until she was an Obama one, evidently.

- Kevin Spacey

Politics, Been, Very, Intrigued

Life's all about perceptions.

- Kevin Spacey

Life, About, Perceptions

It's always the big question in our lives if you have a lot of success. What do you do with it? Buy more houses, buy more cars, buy more stuff, be wealthy and distant and unengaged? Or do you take all that good fortune that has come towards you and spread the love, do something with it?

- Kevin Spacey

Love, Big, Wealthy, Big Question

I think that what is truly unfortunate is when an entire party makes a decision that they're going to block every single thing that a president wants to accomplish. It's very - it's very hard to get anything done in those circumstances.

- Kevin Spacey

I Think, Very, Single Thing, Block

I like being able to go to a local pub and have great food and particularly love pubs that welcome my dogs.

- Kevin Spacey

Love, Pubs, Particularly, Pub

I've always found it strange that a director can hire any designer he wants from any country. But if he hires a foreign actor, it's like he's stolen the crown jewels and run across the river with them.

- Kevin Spacey

Run, Country, Hire, Stolen

Success is like death. The more successful you become, the higher the houses in the hills get and the higher the fences get.

- Kevin Spacey

Success, Death, Success Is, Fences

If you ignore the murdering and the conniving, Francis Underwood is an effective politician.

- Kevin Spacey

Politician, Effective, Francis

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