Kevin Spacey Net Worth

What is Kevin Spacey's Net Worth?

Kevin Spacey is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer who has a net worth of $100 thousand. Kevin Spacey's net worth was significantly higher at one point, perhaps as high as $50 million at the peak of his career. Unfortunately for Kevin, various personal controversies and legal problems have essentially ended his career and his ability to earn significant acting paychecks. These controversies have forced Kevin to spend millions of dollars on legal fees and legal judgments, leaving him with no money and effectively homeless by late 2025.

In a June 2024 interview with Piers Morgan, Kevin claimed to have no money left, was facing foreclosure on his Baltimore home, had barely avoided bankruptcy several times in recent years, and was actually facing millions of dollars in legal debts.

In November 2021, Kevin was ordered to pay the production company behind "House of Cards," Media Rights Capital, $31 million in damages for breaching his contract by engaging in sexual misconduct on set while working as both actor and producer. This judgment was upheld in August 2022. By that point, Kevin was reportedly no longer paying his mortgage on a $5.6 million Baltimore condo that was purchased in February 2017. As we detail in the paragraphs below, a debt collection agency was granted permission to hold a foreclosure auction on the condo in February 2024. By that point, his debt had grown to nearly $36 million with interest. However! In a surprise twist, also in February 2024, Kevin reportedly reached a deal that would wipe the $31 million judgment on the condition he cooperated in MRC's lawsuit against the show's insurance company.

Kevin Spacey garnered widespread acclaim for his performances in films such as "The Usual Suspects" (1995), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and "American Beauty" (1999), which earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. Spacey has a broad range of acting prowess, as demonstrated by his roles in films such as "Seven" (1995), "L.A. Confidential" (1997), and "K-PAX" (2001). Spacey's stage work is also significant, having served as the artistic director of London's Old Vic Theatre from 2004 to 2015, where he starred in productions like "Richard III" and "Inherit the Wind." Kevin Spacey's career stalled after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct emerged in 2017, leading to his removal from "House of Cards" and other projects.

House of Cards Salary & Peak Income

At the height of his career in the 2000s and during the run of "House of Cards," Kevin Spacey routinely earned $10 million to appear as the lead in a major studio film and around $5 million for supporting roles. His compensation escalated substantially once he became the central creative force on "House of Cards." In addition to starring as Frank Underwood, he served as an executive producer beginning in season two, which pushed his total annual earnings to approximately $20 million for the later seasons. His base acting salary was $500,000 per episode.

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$30 Million Damages Lawsuit

In January 2019, Media Rights Capital, the production company behind "House of Cards," sued Kevin. In its lawsuit, MRC alleged Kevin:

"…breached provisions of both the Acting and Executive Producing Agreements that set standards for his workplace conduct, including by breaching MRC's Harassment Policy."

MRC's lawsuit sought compensation FROM SPACEY PERSONALLY for the financial damages it incurred for having to scrap the entire sixth season after filming two episodes. Furthermore, MRC claimed in the scramble to right the ship, it only had enough time to produce eight episodes for the sixth season, five fewer than Netflix ordered. MRC lost millions in licensing fees by not being able to deliver a full season.

In November 2021, Spacey was ordered to pay $31 million in damages, and in August 2022, that judgment was upheld. The award was broken out as $29.5 million in compensatory damages plus another $1.5 million in legal fees and other costs.

By early 2024, the debt had grown to $36 million with interest. In a surprise twist, in February 2024, Kevin reached a deal with MRC in which he would testify on the production company's behalf in a separate lawsuit against MRC's insurance companies, Lloyds of London and Fireman's Fund. MRC is reportedly seeking $150 million in that lawsuit.

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Real Estate & Financial Problems

In 1997, Kevin paid $2.135 million for a home in LA's Los Feliz neighborhood. The 1.1-acre property features a 6,600-square-foot home behind gates and thick shrubbery. Kevin quietly listed this property in 2015 for $16 million but ultimately sold it in an off-market deal in July 2017 for $11 million.

In March 2001, Kevin bought the home immediately next door to his Los Feliz property for $1.9 million. He sold this property in May 2006 for $2.535 million.

In February 2017, Kevin paid $5.65 million for a five-story, 9,000-square-foot waterfront home in Baltimore, Maryland. He purchased the condo to be close to the studio where "House of Cards" was filmed. At the time, it was one of the highest prices paid for an Inner Harbor residence. By the middle of 2022, Kevin had reportedly fallen behind on his $20,000 monthly mortgage payment. By February of 2023, he was reportedly $171,727 behind on the mortgage. In July of 2023, the HOA filed a $43,400 lien against the property, apparently due to his non-payment of a $2,600 monthly HOA fee for approximately 16 months at that point. In August of 2023, a judge granted a debt collection agency the right to sell the mansion. The property was offered at a foreclosure auction on February 29, 2024. After the auction occurred, Kevin temporarily refused to vacate. In March 2025, the property was listed by the new owner for a bit under $6 million.

In later interviews, Spacey confirmed that the Baltimore townhouse was ultimately lost as mounting legal costs drained his finances. He said the expenses of the past several years left him with "very little coming in and everything going out," and that he no longer maintains a permanent residence. With his belongings in storage, he now moves between hotels and Airbnbs while taking work wherever he can find it. Spacey acknowledged that bankruptcy was discussed during this period, though he ultimately did not file.

Here is a video tour from 2016, before he purchased the property:

Early Life

Spacey's real name is Kevin Spacey Fowler, and he was born on July 26th, 1959, in South Orange, New Jersey. He was raised alongside two siblings by his mother, a secretary, and his father, who was a technical writer. When Kevin Spacey was four, the family moved to California. Speaking of his father, Kevin Spacey admitted he was physically abused and that his dad was a Nazi-sympathizing racist.

In grades 10 and 11, Kevin Spacey attended military school. In his senior year, he moved to Chatsworth High School, where he joined the school's theater production of "The Sound of Music." After graduating, he started using the name Spacey. He also moved to New York City to attend the Juilliard School. While he studied there from 1979 to 1981, Kevin Spacey tried to break into the stand-up comedy scene.

Kevin Spacey Fowler was born on July 26, 1959, in South Orange, New Jersey. His mother worked as a secretary and his father was a technical writer with extremist political views. Spacey has spoken about the physical abuse he endured from his father and described him as a Nazi sympathizer. The family moved to California when he was four.

Spacey attended military school for part of high school before transferring to Chatsworth High, where he joined a production of "The Sound of Music." After graduating, he adopted the professional surname Spacey and enrolled at Juilliard. Between 1979 and 1981, he studied acting and tried to break into stand-up comedy in New York.

Career Beginnings

Spacey's early career centered on theater. After small Shakespearean parts, he earned roles in "Ghosts" on Broadway in 1982, followed by "The Misanthrope," "Hurlyburly," "Sleuth," and "The Seagull." His breakthrough came with "Long Day's Journey Into Night" in 1986. During this period, he also made early television appearances, including "Crime Stories."

He continued building a strong stage reputation through the early 1990s. His performance in Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers" in 1991 earned him a Tony Award, cementing his place as one of Broadway's strongest dramatic actors.

Film Breakthrough and 1990s Peak

Spacey's first significant film role was in the 1989 comedy "See No Evil, Hear No Evil." He soon shifted into darker and more complex character roles, appearing in "Glengarry Glen Ross" in 1992 and gaining praise for his intensity in films like "The Ref" and "Swimming With Sharks."

His mainstream breakout arrived in 1995. Spacey won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for "The Usual Suspects" and made a chilling impression as the antagonist in "Se7en." He followed with major roles in "A Time to Kill," the voice of Hopper in Pixar's "A Bug's Life," and his Oscar-winning performance in "American Beauty" in 1999, which earned him Best Actor and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2000s Work

Spacey worked steadily in the early 2000s, appearing in "Pay It Forward," "K-Pax," and as Lex Luthor in "Superman Returns." He remained deeply involved in theater and became artistic director of London's Old Vic in 2003, revitalizing the historic institution and performing in numerous productions.

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House of Cards and 2010s Roles

The defining project of Spacey's later career was "House of Cards." Beginning in 2011, he helped develop the series and took on the lead role of Frank Underwood. The show debuted in 2013 to critical acclaim and played a major part in establishing Netflix as a prestige television platform. Spacey received multiple Emmy nominations and Golden Globe wins, and his producing role significantly increased his earnings.

During this time, he also appeared in "Horrible Bosses," "Margin Call," and later "Billionaire Boys Club." His career came to a halt in 2017 following misconduct allegations, leading to his removal from "House of Cards," widespread professional severing, and the scrapping or reshooting of several projects.

Post-2017 Projects

After several years away from mainstream work, Spacey began accepting roles in small independent films. He provided a voice role in the British thriller "Control" and was cast as former Croatian president Franjo Tudjman in "Once Upon a Time in Croatia." In 2023, he received a lifetime achievement award from the National Museum of Cinema in Turin despite ongoing controversy.

Controversy

Beginning in 2017, multiple individuals accused Spacey of sexual misconduct, including actor Anthony Rapp, who alleged an incident from 1986. Spacey issued a public apology that was widely criticized for simultaneously acknowledging the incident and announcing he was gay.

In the years that followed, additional allegations surfaced in the United States and the United Kingdom. Several cases were dropped due to insufficient evidence or the death of complainants. In July 2023, a London jury acquitted him on all criminal charges. Although he has avoided legal penalties, the allegations effectively ended his mainstream Hollywood career.

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Other Ventures

Spacey founded Trigger Street Productions in 1997, which produced films, TV projects, and short films before its sale to Relativity Media in 2016. He has directed films, appeared in video games such as "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare," and hosted "Saturday Night Live." His tenure as artistic director of the Old Vic from 2003 to 2015 was one of his most influential non-screen roles.

Personal Life

For many years, Spacey mostly kept his private life under wraps. As he explained in a 1998 interview: "The less you know about me, the easier it is to convince you that I am that character on screen. It allows an audience to come into a movie theater and believe I am that person."

In October 2017, fellow actor Anthony Rapp alleged that Spacey had acted inappropriately to him when he was 14 years old. The allegation caused Spacey to release an apology. In his apology, he finally came out as a gay man. This confession was considered controversial because he "came out" in the same statement in which he apologized for making sexual advances towards a minor. In the eyes of many critics, his attempts to link his homosexuality with pedophilia were bizarre. In November 2022, Spacey won the sexual battery lawsuit filed by Rapp.

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