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For his return in '21,' we ask where the great actor has been and celebrate his best roles

By Kim Morgan
Special to MSN Movies

Where has Kevin Spacey been hiding himself these days? Sure, he turned up as a fantastically fiendish Lex Luthor in Bryan Singer's forgettable "Superman Returns... more" and added comic flair to the Christmas-time comedy "Fred Claus." But where are the great actor's John Does, Jack Vincennes and Lester Burnhams of filmdom? And, further (for those of us old enough to remember), where are his Mel Profitts?

They're all still hanging around, albeit most likely on stage, where the Oscar-winning actor has been (since 2003) artistic director of the prestigious Old Vic Theatre in London. Performing in productions ranging from Shakespeare's "Richard II" to Philip Barry's "The Philadelphia Story," Spacey has kept himself busy on the boards, while maintaining a low profile on screen. But with the gambling picture "21," which is based on a true story, Spacey returns as a brilliant math teacher and mentor to a group of card-counting MIT students as they take on Vegas. It should be a juicy role for an interesting actor who, stage or no stage, should be writ large more often. With this in mind, and anticipating a bigger return to the big screen, we honor 10 of Spacey's greatest performances. From serial killers, to disenchanted dads to Bobby Darin, he's created some legendary characters. Here's to hoping for a few more. (Gramercy/Everett Collection)