Kevin Spacey

I never wanted to go to the Old Vic and not have it survive long after I was gone. It's not about me; it's about that theater. And the more that it's able to grow and do everything it should do without me, then I've done my job.

I always thought that, in a way, you want your Superman to be a total unknown.

What's my favourite book? It changes all the time.

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.

I am now a commander of the British Empire.

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.

The Old Vic has always been first and foremost an actors' theatre, a home for great talent and memorable performances.

'The 24 Hour Plays' is a quite brilliant, exhilarating event for everyone concerned.

I have always believed that the risk takers are eventually rewarded.

I'm not out there trying to get press for myself nor am I trying to convince anybody that I'm living any kind of a life. I'm actually trying to convince people: I don't want you to know what I'm living, because it's none of your business.

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.

I accept the fact that some things don't go the way you hope.

I'm supposed to convince you, for two hours, that I'm somebody else. Now if you know everything about my life, if you think you've got me figured out and you think you know all my dark secrets, how am I ever going to convince you that I'm somebody else?

I went through a period of great rebellion within my family, when I was about 9 or 10. I was mad, I had no focus, had no real interest in anything, and so I started to do things that were just rebellious and stupid.

I'm able to hang up the character with the costume at the end of the movie.

Exposure to the arts and culture is enormously valuable.

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.

I've never done a movie that's shot more than 40 days because I just don't do those kinds of films.

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

I open myself up every time I walk on screen and give you everything that I am. There are parts of me that are in every movie that I've done. That to me is what my job is.