|
Not content with revitalising a theatrical institution like the Old Vic, Kevin Spacey has maintained his presence in films including his latest hit, 21. He tells FOCUS how he does it.
While there is no doubting Kevin Spacey’s commitment to his adopted south London home and the theatre he has rescued from the doldrums, he is determined not to turn his back on movies for the duration of his time in charge.
“I think to disappear entirely from films would be stupid,” he says with characteristic candour. “If it weren’t for films I couldn’t be doing what I’m doing at the Old Vic, that’s for sure. But I also know if it weren’t for theatre I wouldn’t have had a film career. So I kind of feel like they complement each other.
“Although I do more producing in films than I do acting that’s just really a measure of availability and time. There are movies that come along sometimes that I’m offered that I just can’t do because I’ve already committed or we’ve already sold tickets to a production that I’m in. Once I make a decision to do a play I’m not going to change that, no matter what.”
With the story of 21 inspired by real events, when students from the prestigious M.I.T. devised a method of cleaning up at the blackjack tables of Las Vegas, Spacey had plenty of material to work on when preparing his role as Professor Mickey Rosa. He admits he is not one of nature’s natural mathematicians – “that where acting comes in,” – but stresses that the story extends further than a mere caper movie.
“It’s got that Risky Business quality to it that I recognised when I first read this story,” he nods. “About 15 years ago, these rumours came out of Boston that this thing was going on. There’s just something about what it’s like when young people fall into making astronomical amounts of money in an unconventional way. And the potential of the greed and corruption, and the seduction that’s thrown at them. It’s about how they respond to it, and at the end of the day what decisions they make and what kind of people they’re going to be.”
In the end the film becomes a compelling battle of wills between Spacey’s character and the brightest and the best of the students he recruits to his team. British star Jim Sturgess plays the gifted Ben Campbell, who falls under the spell of comely colleague Jill (Kate Bosworth) but also draws the unwanted attention of menacing casino official Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne).
As part of the research for the film Spacey took a trip to Las Vegas with some of the real students who had devised this successful method for counting multiple cards at the blackjack tables, and thus tipping the odds in their favour. But, as Spacey confesses, this was one skill he could not master.
“Look, I get it conceptually,” he shrugs, “it was explained to me and I nod my head and say it makes sense. And then they start doing the cards and it’s like ‘What? Stop! How many?’. I could no more count a single deck of cards than I could count six. When we went to Vegas these guys are not allowed to play, but I had one stand behind me while I played blackjack. Every time they wanted me to increase my bet he’d push against my chair, and I won every time.”
The film recently opened in the US to a box office jackpot of its own, exceeding the figure of its title to rake in over $23 million in its opening weekend to top the movie chart. Spacey, currently treading the boards at the Old Vic in Speed-The-Plow can no doubt reflect that his movie profile also acts as a powerful promotion for his theatrical ventures.
“When I look at last year I made three movies,” he explains. “Even if the Old Vic didn’t exist that’s a lot of movies to do in one year. So the balancing act is trying to keep one foot in the film world but my first priority and my focus continues to be the Vic.”
And this happy combination will continue. That’s something you really can bet on.
ANWAR BRETT
Back to Editor's Extra
|
