Kevin Spacey worked.
Kevin Spacey . He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s before obtaining supporting roles in film and television . His other starring roles have included the comedy-drama film Swimming with Sharks ( 1994 ) , psychological thriller Seven ( 1995 ) , the neo-noir crime film L.A. Confidential ( 1997 ) , the drama Pay It Forward ( 2000 ) , the science fiction-mystery film K-PAX ( 2001 ) , and the role of Lex Luthor in the superhero film Superman Returns ( 2006 ) . In Broadway theatre , Spacey won a Tony Award for his role in Lost in Yonkers . He was the artistic director of the Old Vic theatre in London from 2004 until stepping down in mid-2015 . For his role as Underwood , he has won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Television Series Drama and two consecutive Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series .