High-school classmates included Mare Winningham (with whom he shared valedictorian honours) and Val Kilmer
At the start of his acting career, switched last name from Fowler to his mum's maiden name of Spacey
Left Juilliard to join the New York Shakespeare Festival
Made his Broadway debut in the 1982 production of Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts, starring Liv Ullmann
Is a superb mimic, whose spot-on impressions include Jack Lemmon (with whom he worked with on stage and in films and greatly admired) and Al Pacino
Became the artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre Company in London in 2003
In addition to portraying Bobby Darin in the 2004 musical biopic Beyond the Sea, he cowrote and directed the film plus recorded all his vocals for the songs
Met with Jack Abramoff in federal prison before depicting the former lobbyist in 2010's Casino Jack
Awarded an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in her 2015 Birthday Honours
Awards
2017Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series:nominated
2017Emmy-Outstanding Drama Series:nominated
2017Producers Guild Awards-Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:nominated
2016Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:nominated
2016Emmy-Outstanding Drama Series:nominated
2016Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series:nominated
2016Producers Guild Awards-Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:nominated
2015BAFTA Television Awards-Best International:nominated
2015Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:nominated
2015Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:winner
2015Emmy-Outstanding Drama Series:nominated
2015Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series:nominated
2015Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama:winner
2015Producers Guild Awards-Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:nominated
2014Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:nominated
2014Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:winner
2014Emmy-Outstanding Drama Series:nominated
2014Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series:nominated
2014BAFTA Television Awards-Best International:nominated
2014Golden Globe-Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama:nominated
2013Emmy-Outstanding Drama Series:nominated
2013Emmy-Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series:nominated
2013Screen Actors Guild Awards-Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:nominated