This entry is meant to highlight the above speech, which Mr. Spacey made only a few days ago at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
YouTube clips can be found here and here.
The full speech is here.
[ Thank you to members of a Kevin Spacey fan mailing list for providing this info! ]
Mr. S is one of the finest speakers I know of, effortless at commanding the stage and audience. He is passionate about arts advocacy, and delivers yet another inspiring address.
A worthy quote:
"... I also believe that if you have been successful in the business that you wanted to be successful in, then it is your obligation to spend a good portion of your time sending the elevator back down. That was a phrase that Jack Lemmon used to share with me all the time and one that I have now adopted as my own.
...We can all send the elevator back down, 'cos it doesn't matter what floor you're on. In life, there's always someone just below, just waiting for the chance to be invited up. Our job is to make sure the floors we live on are not so high that we can no longer hear the voices of young people crying out for an opportunity that will help shape their lives and help shape a better country."
Another speech, given at the Congressional Arts Kick Off. This was prepared for a House appropriations subcommittee hearing which was unfortunately cancelled at the last minute.
"Sometimes, a person of experience - and it just so happens that Jack Lemmon was a huge idol of mine - can say just the right words, at just the right time, to a young person, and change their lives."
I know exactly what he means. A number of key figures have shaped my future in various ways, like a secondary school English teacher who complimented and nurtured my early interest in writing, a strict piano teacher who pushed me to a Distinction grade, senior medical colleagues who guided my career path.
Local schools don't focus on the arts as much as those in the U.S. and Europe, but I have never regretted my choice to major in Literature back in RGS, and can't imagine life without creative writing, films, plays and musicals.
Mr. Spacey gave me an epiphany last December, one which I will endeavour to never lose sight of. I didn't manage to express this in my fan letter ( which was prepared before his interview and our meeting ), but if I have the opportunity to speak to him in person when he returns with The Bridge Project, I will be sure to convey my appreciation.
Last but not least, a link to his MSNBC interview with Chris Matthews on Hardball.
p.s. And who in the world at DreamWorks Animation is reading my blog?! :D
Have a good weekend!
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