Kevin Spacey
Spacey in 2011, photo by DFree/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Kevin Spacey Fowler
Place of Birth: South Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Date of Birth: July 26, 1959
Ethnicity: Swedish (maternal grandfather), English, small amounts of Scots-Irish/Northern Irish and Welsh
Kevin Spacey is an American actor, comedian, singer, writer, director, and producer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Usual Suspects (1995), and the Academy Award for Best Actor for American Beauty (1999). His roles also include the films Working Girl, See No Evil, Hear No Evil; Henry & June, Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), Consenting Adults, Iron Will, The Ref (1994), Swimming with Sharks, Outbreak, Se7en, A Time to Kill, Looking for Richard, Albino Alligator, which he also directed; L.A. Confidential, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, The Negotiator, Hurlyburly, A Bug’s Life, The Big Kahuna, Ordinary Decent Criminal, Pay It Forward, K-PAX, The Shipping News, Austin Powers in Goldmember, The Life of David Gale, The United States of Leland, Beyond the Sea, which he also directed and co-wrote; Edison, Superman Returns, Fred Claus, 21, Telstar: The Joe Meek Story, Shrink (2009), The Men Who Stare at Goats, Father of Invention, Casino Jack, Margin Call, Horrible Bosses, and its sequel; Elvis & Nixon, Nine Lives (2016), Rebel in the Rye, Baby Driver, Billionaire Boys Club (2018), Once Upon a Time in Croatia, The Man Who Drew God, and Control (2023); the show House of Cards; the made-for-tv movies Bernard and Doris and Recount (2008); the video game Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare; and his considerable stage performances. He was artistic director of the Old Vic theatre in London for over ten years.
Kevin is the son of Kathleen, a secretary, and Thomas Fowler, a technical writer and data consultant. He was raised in Southern California, mostly in Chatsworth, Los Angeles. Kevin’s father was raised under the name Thomas C. Longshore, the surname of his own stepfather, and later changed his name to Thomas Geoffrey Fowler, the surname of his own biological father.
Kevin’s patrilineal Fowler line can be traced to Sir Roger Thomas Moss Fowler/Fuller, who was born, c. 1509, in Foxley, Buckinghamshire, England. The name Spacey comes from Kevin’s paternal grandmother, and traces back to Kevin’s great-great-great-great-grandfather, John S. Spacey, who was born, c. 1760, likely in England. John fought in the Revolutionary War.
Kevin’s paternal grandfather was Bayard Cecil Fowler (the son of Corydon/Gordon/Corda/Cordon A. Fowler and Mabel/Maybelle M. Chaffee). Bayard was born in Pennsylvania. Cordon was born in Kingsville, Ashtabula, Ohio, the son of Henry A. Fowler and Cornelia A. White. Mabel was born in Ohio, the daughter of James Orson Chaffee and Malinda/Melinda H. Merry.
Kevin’s paternal grandmother was Norma Louise Spacey (the daughter of Thomas Oscar Spacey and Lillian Mae/May “Lilly”/Lillie Shepherd). Norma was born in Tennessee. By 1930, Norma had married Kevin’s step-grandfather, Willard Breck Longshore, who was born in Ohio, the son of Jeremiah Willard Longshore and Grace Gertrude Gantz. Kevin’s great-grandfather Thomas was born in Atoka, Tipton, Tennessee, the son of John T. Spacey and Lucinda/Lou Cindy Gray. Kevin’s great-grandmother Lillian was born in Mississippi, the daughter of Racey Charles Shepherd and Mabel/Mable Halley.
Kevin’s maternal grandfather was named Allan August Knutson (the son of Olof/Ole Augustinus Knutson and Vehlemena/Vehelmena E. “Mamie”). Kevin’s grandfather Allan was born in Cannon Falls, Goodhue, Minnesota, to Swedish parents. Ole was the son of Knut Benson/Bengtsson and Inger Bengtsdotter.
Kevin’s maternal grandmother was Harriet Elizabeth Powell (the daughter of Judson/Jedediah Scott Powell and Lulu/Lula Cole/Ann Richardson). Harriet was born in Indiana. Judson was born in Indiana, the son of Hiram F. Powell and Sarah E. Boardman, whose mother was born in England. Kevin’s great-grandmother Lulu was born in Indiana, the daughter of Robert Harrison Richardson and Louisa Ann C. Dean.
Sources: Genealogies of Kevin Spacey – https://www.geni.com
https://famouskin.com
Marriage record of Kevin’s parents – https://familysearch.org
Kevin’s father, then known as Thomas C. Longshore, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Kevin’s father’s stepfather, Willard Breck Longshore, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Kevin’s paternal grandfather, Bayard Cecil Fowler – https://www.findagrave.com
Kevin’s paternal grandmother, Norma Louise Spacey, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Kevin’s maternal grandparents, Allan August Knutson and Harriet Elizabeth Powell, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Kevin’s maternal grandfather, Allan August Knutson, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Kevin’s maternal grandmother, Harriet Elizabeth Powell, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Kevin’s patrilineal Fowler line can be traced back to Sir Roger Thomas Moss Fowler/Fuller who was born in 1509 in Foxley, Buckinghamshire, England.
Sir Roger Thomas Moss Fowler/Fuller on FamilySearch;
Funny how white people from NJ are usually heavily British, German, and Scandinavian while just a few miles away in NY there’s a whole different genetic composition.
This isn’t really the case if you’re talking about Northern New Jersey, which is highly ethically mixed. It’s very similar to NYC and Long Island. Lots of Italians, Irish, etc. This is the heart of the “Mid-Atlantic” region.
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=80580027
I can’t see if his eyes are green or brown.
brown
very great hazel eyes