Kevin Spacey

Made films the shows talk about.

Wikidata Q25144: matched by corpus:resolve, told apart by the only person by that name on Wikidata.

Counted as actor. The films the hosts said they acted in, which the two lists below run through too: Working Girl (1988); Swimming with Sharks (1994); Outbreak (1995); Seven (1995); The Usual Suspects (1995); A Time to Kill (1996); L.A. Confidential (1997); Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997); A Bug's Life (1998); American Beauty (1999); K-PAX (2001); Margin Call (2011); All the Money in the World (2017); (Bobby Darin biopic, title not said); 21; House of Cards (TV); Pay It Forward; Richard III (play); The Negotiator; The Shipping News. Count them as producer (2 films) instead.

Draws on

What the speakers say they, or a film of theirs, drew on. Each is a speaker's account: “the maker said so” when they report the maker's own words, “the host's read” when the read is theirs.

21 (Ben Mezrich book): 1 line

  1. unmapped (adapted from) · through 21, which they acted in: 21 (Ben Mezrich book) ⇒ 21 (the host's read). Kevin Spacey bought the rights to Mezrich's book, which became the movie 21.
    “Kevin Spacey bought the rights to Ben Mazrich's book that became the movie 21, which he costarred and produced.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Social Network (Ad-Free) · 0:14:53 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

A Few Good Men (1992): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through A Time to Kill (1996), which they acted in: A Few Good Men ⇒ A Time to Kill (the host's read). A Time to Kill blends every earlier trope: country lawyer, big-shot prosecutor, cranky judge.
    “puts them in a blender and it gives you every single thing”
    The Big Picture · Objection! Top 10 Courtroom Dramas | The Big Picture · 1:28:50 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)

Alfred Hitchcock: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: Alfred Hitchcock ⇒ Seven (the host's read). Se7en is a Hitchcock movie in its pulling-your-chain structure of mystery, reveal and anxiety, and Hitchcock is Fincher's biggest influence.
    “I think as much as this seems like a modern movie, it's also just completely a Hitchcock movie in so many ways.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:14:30 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)

All That Jazz (1979): 1 line

  1. lineage (cited influence) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: All That Jazz ⇒ Seven (the maker said so). A host recalls a Fincher film the show covered where he cited All That Jazz as an inspiration for the look, maybe Seven.
    “where he cited how much of an inspiration all that jazz was for him for the look of the movie?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · David Fincher Music Videos · 1:13:07 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Working Girl (1988), which they acted in: An Officer and a Gentleman ⇒ Working Girl (the host's read). The kiss-and-secretaries-cheer moment is an Officer and a Gentleman homage.
    “And then I had the officer and a gentleman homage when they're kissing and one of the secretaries says, way to go.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Working Girl’ With Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, and Joanna Robinson · 1:13:08 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)

Jack Lemmon: 1 line

  1. unmapped (idol) · them, directly: Jack Lemmon ⇒ Kevin Spacey (the host's read). The speaker infers Spacey sees himself as Jack Lemmon, the star he always looked up to.
    “That's the star that he's always looked up to, and now he's going on talk shows and he's doing all his impressions.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 2:03:14 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Klute: 1 line

  1. lineage (visual inspiration) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: Klute ⇒ Seven (the maker said so). The speaker watched Klute because Fincher and DP Darius Khondji cited it as an inspiration for Se7en's dark look and flashlight-led framing.
    “I watched Clute over the weekend because I know that both Fincher and Darius Conji, the DP, had cited that as an inspiration”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 2:38:58 · Nick Wiger or Mike Mitchell (unresolved) (0.30 sure it was them)

Oliver Stone: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Margin Call (2011), which they acted in: Oliver Stone ⇒ Margin Call (the maker said so: Brian speaking about his own writing). Oliver Stone is as big an influence on Brian's dialogue as anybody but Mamet.
    “Oliver Stone's big an influence on the way that I write dialogue as anybody but Mammoth.”
    The Big Picture · Top Five Gen X Director Debuts, the Fate of ‘Black Widow,’ and a Potential Oscars Disaster · 1:09:43 · Brian Koppelman (0.65 sure it was them)

William Friedkin: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: William Friedkin ⇒ Seven (the maker said so). Fincher drew from Friedkin and wanted it to feel like an episode of Cops.
    “he's drawn from like Friedkin, but he's also, he's, he's referenced like how he wanted it to feel like an episode of cops.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:15:42 · Chris Ryan (0.50 sure it was them)

Drawn on by

What the speakers say drew on them or a film of theirs, marked the same way.

Billions: 2 lines

  1. career (career) · through Margin Call (2011), which they acted in: Margin Call ⇒ Billions (the maker said so: Koppelman, Billions co-creator, on the show). Koppelman says Margin Call reaffirmed how he and Dave had thought about these people, and made a hedge-fund story make more sense than a bank story.
    “margin call may be reaffirmed that the way Dave and I thought about these people, as we'd met them, was pretty much like the way a lot of them are”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:21:18 · Brian Koppelman (0.90 sure it was them)
  2. lineage (lineage) · through Margin Call (2011), which they acted in: Margin Call ⇒ Billions (the maker said so: Koppelman, Billions co-creator, on the show). Koppelman says the borrowed lesson is that Margin Call does not speak down to the viewer.
    “this movie doesn't speak down to the viewer”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:21:59 · Brian Koppelman (0.90 sure it was them)

Fight Club (1999): 2 lines

  1. career (career) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: Seven ⇒ Fight Club (the host's read). Without Se7en's power Fincher does not get to do The Game and Fight Club his way.
    “I think without this movie, he doesn't go on this run”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:27:28 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)
  2. career (career lever) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: Seven ⇒ Fight Club (the host's read). Se7en's success is what let Fincher make the seemingly impossible Fight Club.
    “But the fight club is him more being like, okay, guys, I know this seems impossible, but I made seven.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 1:05:55 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Pretty Woman (1990): 2 lines

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Working Girl (1988), which they acted in: Working Girl ⇒ Pretty Woman (the host's read). Pretty Woman borrows openly from Working Girl's Cinderella story.
    “It openly steal shit from this movie.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Working Girl’ With Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, and Joanna Robinson · 0:08:48 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. programming (programming) · through Working Girl (1988), which they acted in: Working Girl ⇒ Pretty Woman (the host's read). Pairing Working Girl and Pretty Woman as a Cinderella double feature to see what Pretty Woman took.
    “It double Cinderella and then you're watching Purdue Woman seeing all the things they took.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Working Girl’ With Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, and Joanna Robinson · 2:05:09 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

The Game (1997): 2 lines

  1. unmapped (R-rated proof) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: Seven ⇒ The Game (the host's read). Se7en's hit status as an R-rated film convinced the backers to fund The Game.
    “I think convinced, um, people like, okay, like, you can make an R-rated movie a hit.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:33:16 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. unmapped (commercial lead-in) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: Seven ⇒ The Game (the host's read). Se7en's success gave Fincher an absurd budget for The Game.
    “this is better for me because now I can make this movie at an absurd budget.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:47:35 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

Zodiac (2007): 2 lines

  1. lineage (structure / influence) · through L.A. Confidential (1997), which they acted in: L.A. Confidential ⇒ Zodiac (the host's read). Leslye says Zodiac feels like it follows in the footsteps of L.A. Confidential.
    “zodiac feels like it follows in the footsteps of that.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 0:50:16 · Leslye Headland (0.80 sure it was them)
  2. unmapped (why Fincher was offered it) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: Seven ⇒ Zodiac (the host's read). Seven made Fincher the first choice for any serial-killer project, Zodiac included.
    “Ever since he makes seven, if there's some serial killer movie, is getting sent it”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Zodiac with Leslye Headland (Ad-Free) · 0:51:53 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)

8mm (1999): 1 line

  1. lineage (rip-off) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: Seven ⇒ 8mm (the host's read). Calls 8mm Schumacher ripping off Se7en.
    “8 millimeter is Schumacher ripping off seven.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:41:48 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

MTV Movie Awards Se7en parody: 1 line

  1. unmapped (parody) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: Seven ⇒ MTV Movie Awards Se7en parody (the host's read). The MTV Movie Awards parodied the Se7en ending with William Shatner playing every role and the head in the box.
    “And then Shatner's head is in the box and then he sings a song.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 2:34:40 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

Nine Inch Nails: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: Seven ⇒ Nine Inch Nails (the host's read). Se7en caught industrial rock at its peak and led to Fincher-Reznor scores.
    “Fincher and Rezner go on to make this incredible partnership”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:55:04 · Sean Fennessey (0.45 sure it was them)

Saw (film series): 1 line

  1. unmapped (borrowing) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: Seven ⇒ Saw (film series) (the host's read). Rewatching the Saw movies, the speaker was struck by how much they lifted from Se7en.
    “I forgot how much saw stole.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 0:59:00 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

The Batman (2022): 1 line

  1. unmapped (borrowing) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: Seven ⇒ The Batman (the host's read). The speaker had forgotten how indebted The Batman is to Fincher, mostly to Se7en.
    “I had forgotten just how indebted the Batman is to...”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 1:28:34 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

The Devil Wears Prada (2006): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Working Girl (1988), which they acted in: Working Girl ⇒ The Devil Wears Prada (the host's read). Working Girl sprinkled its DNA over later beloved movies, Pretty Woman and Devil Wears Prada chief among them.
    “And it's just sprinkling DNA over all these beloved movies over the next 40 years, but those were Pretty Woman and Devil wears Prada were the 2 that I was like, oh, yeah.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Working Girl’ With Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, and Joanna Robinson · 0:13:35 · Joanna Robinson (0.40 sure it was them)

The Social Network (2010): 1 line

  1. unmapped (brought Fincher on) · them, directly: Kevin Spacey ⇒ The Social Network (the host's read). The hosts say Spacey optioned the book and got Fincher on board.
    “And was the one who got Fincher on board.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:06:00 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

True Detective (2014): 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: Seven ⇒ True Detective (the host's read). Se7en's influence shows in True Detective from the title sequence to the characters, though True Detective's first season flinches at the dark ending.
    “you can see the influence of of 7 on things like True Detective from the title sequence to the characters.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:15:19 · Chris Ryan (0.55 sure it was them)

Working Girl (1990 NBC series): 1 line

  1. programming (programming) · through Working Girl (1988), which they acted in: Working Girl ⇒ Working Girl (1990 NBC series) (the host's read). Working Girl became a 1990 NBC series, with Sandra Bullock as Tess.
    “Working Girl became an NBC series in 1990”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Working Girl’ With Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, and Joanna Robinson · 1:11:10 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)

later crime thrillers and crime TV (unnamed): 1 line

  1. lineage (genre influence) · through Seven (1995), which they acted in: Seven ⇒ later crime thrillers and crime TV (unnamed) (the host's read). As an adult the speaker is less shocked by Se7en because everyone since took a page out of its book.
    “I'm not as shocked by 7 because everyone took a page out of its book, of course.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 2:15:39 · Mike Mitchell (0.50 sure it was them)

What the speakers said they did

Producing (2) everyone in producing

Acting (29) everyone in acting

Other (3) everyone in other

What was said about them, by kind

career (1)

  1. career (career): Kevin Spacey → Seven. Spacey's billing choice (uncredited) kept the twist secret in a pre-internet era, which fed a slow-building box office.
    “And it was a great move by Spacey not to be credited.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:08:19 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)

craft (3)

  1. craft (craft): Jeremy Irons → Kevin Spacey. Russillo loves that Irons plays powerful as normal by asking to be explained to like a child, though he'd already decided.
    “he presents himself as the most normal, but he had clearly already made up his mind”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:13:19 · Ryen Russillo (0.85 sure it was them)
  2. craft (craft): J.C. Chandor → Kevin Spacey. Koppelman says the clapping was found by Spacey on the day, and Chandor kept the speech as written.
    “Spacey and he found the clapping thing like on the day”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:32:52 · Brian Koppelman (0.80 sure it was them)
  3. craft (craft): Kevin Spacey → The Usual Suspects (Verbal Kint). Koppelman contrasts how Spacey smokes in Margin Call with Verbal Kint's cigarette business.
    “Look at the way verbal Kent smokes a cigarette compared to the way this guy smokes a cigarette.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:25:12 · Brian Koppelman (0.80 sure it was them)

people (2)

  1. people (cast): Kevin Spacey → Seven. Spacey is the only Fincher movie lead he's in, per the host.
    “that's the only Fincher movie he's in, right?”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:05:44 · Griffin Newman (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. people (cast): Kevin Spacey → House of Cards (TV). Spacey was in House of Cards.
    “Oh, and then, of course, they did House of Carts.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:05:51 · Griffin Newman (0.30 sure it was them)

unmapped (2)

  1. unmapped (brought Fincher on): Kevin Spacey → The Social Network. The hosts say Spacey optioned the book and got Fincher on board.
    “And was the one who got Fincher on board.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Game with Brendan Hines (Ad-Free) · 0:06:00 · David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. unmapped (idol): Jack Lemmon → Kevin Spacey. The speaker infers Spacey sees himself as Jack Lemmon, the star he always looked up to.
    “That's the star that he's always looked up to, and now he's going on talk shows and he's doing all his impressions.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 2:03:14 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

verdict (1)

  1. verdict (verdict): Kevin Spacey → American Beauty. Apex Mountain for Spacey: Usual Suspects or American Beauty.
    “I still feel like, no, I think it's American Beauty.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 1:11:38 · Chris Ryan (0.40 sure it was them)

what-if (7)

  1. what-if (what-if): Tom Hanks → Kevin Spacey. Simmons argues Hanks in the Spacey role would make the audience root for a man who isn't good.
    “if that's Hanks, you're processing the movie a little bit differently”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:09:02 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
  2. what-if (what-if): Tom Hanks → Kevin Spacey. Koppelman says Hanks does not play sleaze and could not sell the drifting-away line at the end.
    “He doesn't play sleaze.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:10:32 · Brian Koppelman (0.85 sure it was them)
  3. what-if (what-if): Russell Crowe → Kevin Spacey. Simmons floats Crowe as in The Insider as Sam.
    “Russell Crowe could have played that part in the insider version of Russell Crowe”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:11:11 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
  4. what-if (what-if): James Gandolfini → Kevin Spacey. Koppelman says Gandolfini would have been incredible as Sam.
    “Gandalfini would have been fucking incredible as Sam.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:26:18 · Brian Koppelman (0.70 sure it was them)
  5. what-if (what-if): Philip Seymour Hoffman → Kevin Spacey. Someone adds Hoffman as another candidate for Sam.
    “Philip Seymour Hoffman, the other guy who obviously could have played Sammy, would have killed it.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:26:40 · Brian Koppelman (0.60 sure it was them)
  6. what-if (what-if): Kevin Spacey → Robert De Niro. An 80s De Niro, with Cape Fear and Taxi Driver in him, could have been John Doe.
    “I think there's some kind of time frame from the 80s when De Niro could have been this guy”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:46:28 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
  7. what-if (what-if): Kevin Spacey → Skyfall. Spacey was originally approached to play Mallory because Mendes directed him in American Beauty.
    “I think Kevin Spacey was originally approached to play Mallory.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Skyfall’ With Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Amanda Dobbins · 0:57:19 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)

Fun items about them

  1. fun, about Kevin Spacey: New award invented: Kevin Spacey doing cocaine and harassing Tess in the limo wins craziest foreshadowing of a real-life event.
    “craziest foreshadowing of a real life event.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Working Girl’ With Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, and Joanna Robinson · 0:52:26 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. fun, about Kevin Spacey: The clapping out in the open is one of the greatest moments, an actor's choice found on the day.
    “he claps it out when he walks out there, which is one of the greatest moments in the movie.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 0:18:12 · Ryen Russillo (0.80 sure it was them)
  3. fun, about Kevin Spacey: Smoking details; he smokes differently per character.
    “He smokes a cigarette completely differently depending on what character he's playing.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Margin Call’ With Bill Simmons, Ryen Russillo, and Brian Koppelman · 1:25:08 · Brian Koppelman (0.80 sure it was them)
  4. fun, about Kevin Spacey: Fincher calls Spacey an instrument, a weapon in the movie.
    “Fincher calls him an instrument.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘Se7en’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Chris Ryan · 0:42:03 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  5. fun, about Kevin Spacey: A running joke that Spacey's audition tape was a reading of 'Let Me Be Frank'.
    “His audition tape was just the original reading of Let Me Be Frank.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 0:52:49 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  6. fun, about Kevin Spacey: Spacey is the crime scene photographer earlier in the film, in a wig doing a voice.
    “it is Spacey wearing a wig doing a voice, it's like Spacey doing a mad TV audition.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 1:58:32 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)
  7. fun, about Kevin Spacey: Spacey's contract demand: no billing at all, so audiences wait the whole film for the star to appear.
    “And his contractual demand is, don't credit me in the movie.”
    Blank Check — Patreon · Se7en with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger (Ad-Free) · 1:59:23 · Griffin Newman or David Sims (reading the dossier) (0.40 sure it was them)