Kevin Spacey (born July 26, 1959) is an American awar-winning stage and film actor, film director. Spacey grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television. He gained critical acclaim in the early 1990s, culminating in his first Oscar for The Usual Suspects (Supporting), followed by a Best Actor Oscar win for American Beauty (1999). Spacey has starred in many other Hollywood films including Se7en, Pay It Forward, L.A. Confidential, and as the villain Lex Luthor in Superman Returns. Since 2003, he has been artistic director of the Old Vic theatre in London.