Valley Classes Put Actor on Path to Fame

When Kevin Spacey accepted an Oscar last year for his part in “The Usual Suspects,� one of the first people he thanked was his mother “for driving me to those acting classes on Ventura Boulevard when I was 16. I told you they would pay off.�

Indeed. He could have said the same thing five years earlier, when he won a Tony for his portrayal of Uncle Louie in “Lost in Yonkers.�

And to think, it all started in Chatsworth. A New Jersey transplant, Spacey reportedly was a rebellious kid until he found acting. As a senior, he transferred to Chatsworth High School--Class of 1977--which had a respected drama program and did a short stint at Valley College before heading on to the Juilliard School and Broadway.

Not flashy or glamorous but nearly always impressive, Spacey has made a career out of unusual parts. Among them: televangelist Jim Bakker for a TV movie; Jamie Tyrone in a Broadway revival of “Long Day’s Journey Into Night�; and the evil Mel Profitt on the CBS series “Wiseguy.�

His film roles have been equally bizarre, including Verbal Kint in “Suspects,� the wicked district attorney in “A Time to Kill,� the sadistic movie producer in “Swimming With Sharks� and a methodical sociopath in “Seven.� His directorial debut, “Albino Alligator,� was recently released to strong reviews.