8 Great Actors Whose Bad Experiences Caused Them To Quit Hollywood

8. Replacing The "Degree Of Snobbery" In The US With London's Old Vic Theatre - Kevin Spacey

Before Kevin Spacey made it big in Hollywood he would sometimes perform stand-up comedy in bowling alley talent contests - few who saw him at the time would have guessed that he would go on to win two Academy Awards and star in a series of critically acclaimed movies, from The Usual Suspects to American Beauty. In 2004, however, Spacey announced his decision to become the Old Vic, one of the oldest theatres in London and certainly one of the most prestigious. Since the appointment Spacey has appeared in very few movies - his turn as villain Lex Luther in 2006's Superman Returns being his last role in a major studio production - preferring to focus his time and attention on his stage productions. Spacey cited what he saw as "some degree of snobbery" in the US when it came to actors who wanted to move between movies, television and stage, something he felt was absent from his career while living in London. Fans of Kevin Spacey who can't get to the Old Vic to see him on stage are better served by television than the movies - he's starred as the corrupt politician Frank Underwood for two seasons in Netflix's flagship drama, House of Cards, a performance which confirms his unique talent.