Top 10 Kevin Spacey roles

With the 72nd Golden Globe Awards just a day away, it is a good time to take a look at the movies, shows, cast and crew that have received nominations.

So far we’ve looked at the presenters, winners, “best dressed” and “worst dressed” celebrities of the 2014 Golden Globe Awards. We’ve also compiled a complete listing of the 2015 television nominees, including the Netflix original series, House of Cards.

On the topic of House of Cards, Frank Underwood actor, Kevin Spacey, is nominated for Best Actor in a TV Series. Kevin Spacey has quite an extensive and successful career that spans over two decades and includes acting, producing, directing, and even writing. Spacey has previously won two Oscars, and according to IMDb, has received another 52 awards, and 51 nominations. In honor of Spacey and the 2015 Golden Globe Awards, we will count down his top ten roles.

To see if Spacey will win another award, watch this year’s broadcast at 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, January 11, 2015 and check out @celcafe on Twitter as we will be live tweeting throughout the show, as well as from the red carpet.

Image courtesy of Walter McBride/INFphoto.com

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Prot in K-Pax

In the film K-Pax, Spacey portrays a man by the name of Robert Porter who suffers from the delusion that he is from another planet; a planet called K-Pax. He refers to himself as Prot (rhymes with goat), and after being arrested as a mugging suspect, is handed over to a mental institute. Although the psychiatrist finds information suggesting that Robert Porter suffered a severe trauma in the past, severe enough to cause such a grand delusion, he possesses stunning scientific knowledge that lends credence to his extraterrestrial claims.

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Bobby Darin in Beyond the Sea

Bobby Darin was a well-known singer and actor in the 1950s and 1960s. One of his more popular songs, “Beyond the Sea,” was chosen for the title of this film, which was co-written, co-produced, and directed by Kevin Spacey himself. Of course he played the lead role as Bobby Darin, but what may not be common knowledge is that he displayed his own singing voice throughout the film. His performance is so note-worthy, that regardless of its lack of wide acceptance, it is deserving of a spot on this top ten list.

Following is a clip of Spacey singing the title song, “Beyond the Sea:”

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D.A. Rufus Buckley in A Time to Kill

Any case involving a heinous crime such as rape or murder is a sensitive topic, and so is racism. A Time to Kill has it all, and Spacey plays the prosecuting lawyer, District Attorney Rufus Buckley. The case is very straight forward: two white men brutally rape a young black girl in the deep-south. Once arrested, but prior to their trial, the perpetrators are shot and murdered by the young girl’s father. It is then the father who goes on trial for taking justice into his own hands, and Spacey gives an intense performance as he cross examines the defendant and other key witnesses.

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Chris Sabian in The Negotiator

In this action packed thriller, Spacey portrays a top notch negotiator who is called in on a very unusual case. Another negotiator has been backed into a corner with false criminal charges and as a result has taken hostages of his own. He demands to be put in contact with Spacey's character, Chris Sabian, in hopes that he will end up with a sympathetic ear. Another stellar performance by Spacey.

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Buddy Ackerman in Swimming with Sharks

Swimming with Sharks is an interesting film that is the predecessor to the more recent Horrible Bosses. With the character of Buddy Ackerman, Spacey plays a horrible boss, indeed. He is abusive and demeaning, pushing his assistant to the breaking point. This film is full of dark humor, but has a gritty truth to it that is revealed in Spacey’s award winning performance.

Following is a scene in which Ackerman’s crazed assistant backlashes, tying him up and interrogating him. Ackerman’s response is to ask “What do you really want?”

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Lester Burnham in American Beauty

American Beauty is aptly named, considering it is a satiric display of the degradation of the “American dream.” Dealing with the modern family dynamic, lack of job security, bigotry, teenage angst, drug abuse, media-induced low self-esteem and negative body image, and twisted fantasies that eventually lead to an unexplained murder, this film is amazing!

Following is a clip from the beginning of the movie, in which our hero, Lester Burnham (Spacey), admirably deals with the downsizing of the company for which he works. Faced with inevitably losing his job, and being required to write a description of it and how he is vital to the company, he instead writes a hellish description that sets the stage for his resignation.

Warning: some of the content of this film may be difficult to watch due to its disturbing nature.

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Eugene Simonet in Pay It Forward

Spacey plays a middle school Social Studies teacher with a grudge to bear in this family drama. He is physically, mentally, and emotionally scarred. After assigning his students the task of finding a way to change the world, one of them comes up with the idea to “pay it forward.” Basically, instead of paying someone back when they do something for you, do something for someone else.

Following is a clip in which Spacey shows his ability to fully inhabit a character and capture the raw emotion in a riveting way; a scene in which Mr. Simonet espouses the dangers of an abusive relationship:

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Jack Vincennes in L.A. Confidential

In this intriguing film-noir style flick, Spacey plays a detective in the L.A. police department by the name of Jack Vincennes; Detective Sergeant Jack Vincennes. He, along with two other detectives, finds himself caught up in the pursuit of a killer referred to as the Nite Owl. Set in the 1950s, L.A. Confidential is a film complete with engaging plot twists and another excellent performance by Spacey.

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Frank Underwood in House of Cards

About to begin its third season, House of Cards is a T.V. drama series about a wronged politician who sets out to seek revenge and increase his position. An American remake of a British series by the same name, House of cards is a Netflix original starring Spacey. It has been nominated for the Best T.V. Series, Drama award, and correspondingly, Spacey has been nominated for the Best Actor in a T.V. Series, Drama.

The following trailer is from season one:

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Roger “Verbal” Kint in The Usual Suspects

The role of Verbal in The Usual Suspects is arguably Spacey’s best performance. He portrays a con man who is crippled by cerebral palsy, and who gets caught up in an international drug deal along with four other “usual” suspects. Their story, though, is anything but usual, and Spacey’s performance is entrancing. It is a role for which he won his first Oscar. This movie probably has the best and most unexpected ending!