What with it being Kevin Spacey's 55th birthday, we thought we'd do something nice for him and count down his five best scenes from his work. We had a hard time of it, but we're champs like that.
5. Se7en - "We tolerate it because it's common. It's trivial."
Kevin Spacey famously refused a top-line credit in David Fincher's classy horror because he didn't want people getting distracted by waiting for him to turn up. That shows the kind of actor Kevin Spacey he is - that he'd put a film's story and reveal before his own ego. Playing John Doe, the psychotic serial killer who believe he is teaching the world a lesson, Spacey's calm and measured tones belied something truly sinister.
4. A Time To Kill - "What do you think is a fair punishment?"
John Grisham's courtroom drama, starring a young, Contact-era Matthew McConaughey and Samuel L. Jackson, A Time To Kill is often considered one of the best courtroom dramas in recent memory and solidified Kevin Spacey's reputation as one of the best supporting actors working. Spacey plays Rufus Buckley, the well-heeled prosecutor who intends to use Samuel L. Jackson's revenge-killing as a platform to launch his political career. Spacey's pitch-perfect Southern drawl is matched with a magnetism that makes him the only thing you see whenever he's on screen.
3. LA Confidential - "I messed something up. I'm trying to make amends."
If you've never watched LA Confidential, don't watch this video. It's spoiler-iffic. It is, however, a fantastic scene that acts as a catalyst for the film's third act. Spacey's at his slickest as Jack Vincennes, the wise-talking LA cop who's lost sight of who he is. Using his charm and comedy timing, Spacey infuses the character with a warmth and wit that without it could have made for a thoroughly unlikeable character.
2. The Usual Suspects - "Hand ME the keys, you f**king c**ksucker."
Although Spacey has only one line in this scene, it's our absolute favourite from this film. Not only that, Spacey had a direct hand in getting the film made as he put Singer in touch with producers and rallied the cast together. Playing Roger 'Verbal' Kint, a CP-suffering con artist who talks too much, Spacey's narration of this crime classic won him his first and only Oscar as Best Supporting Actor. GIMME THE FUCKING KEYS!
1. American Beauty - "I'm just an ordinary guy with nothing to lose."
Kevin Spacey's Lester is a masterclass in sarcasm and wit. This scene, which shows him blackmailing his boss in order to get a juicy severance package, once again demonstrates Spacey's remarkable comedic timing and deadpan humour. There's not a single scene that you can't point to in American Beauty and not come away with either a quotable line or a little emotional nugget. Arguably Spacey's finest work.
