Spacey to Be Honored with Pell Award for Achievement in the Arts

By Adam Hetrick
March 12, 2009

Tony and Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey has been named the recipient of the 2009 National Pell Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts.

Trinity Repertory Company has announced that Spacey will be honored at the 13th annual Pell Awards Gala benefit to be held on June 20 at Pelican Ledge, the home of Nuala Pell, in Newport, RI. The evening will also feature a tribute to late Senator Claiborne Pell, for whom the award is named.

"Kevin Spacey is a natural choice to receive this award because of his commitment to the live theatre, the medium of film, and good works around the globe. He is a great director, actor, artistic director, and humanitarian. We are honored to have him as a part of this year's important celebration," said Trinity Rep artistic director Curt Columbus in a statement.

Spacey has served as the artistic director of London's Old Vic Theatre Company since 2003. His London stage credits include National Anthems, The Philadelphia Story, Richard II, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Speed-the-Plow, and The Iceman Cometh, for which he earned the Evening Standard and Olivier Award for Best Actor. Spacey was awarded a Tony for Lost in Yonkers and has been Tony-nominated for his Broadway appearances in the Old Vic transfers of A Moon for the Misbegotten and The Iceman Cometh. His numerous screen credits include Oscar-winning performances in "American Beauty" and "The Usual Suspects," as well as "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," "Superman Returns," "Pay It Forward" and "HurlyBurly."

Tickets ranging $500-$1,000 are available by phoning (401) 521-1100 x 237. For more information visit www.trinityrep.com.