Oscar winner Kevin Spacey to be Siskel Film Center honoree

UPDATE ON APRIL 12: The Film Center announced Wednesday that fellow actor Jeremy Piven will lead the discussion with Spacey at the May 13 gala.

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Kevin Spacey, one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, will be the recipient of the annual Renaissance Award, presented by the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago this spring.

The Golden Globe, Tony, BAFTA and two-time Academy Award winner will be honored at a May 13 gala at the Four Seasons Hotel. The evening will include a retrospective of Spacey’s career and will include a Q&A conversation with the actor, director and filmmaker, to provide additional insights into his creative process. The highlight of the event will be the presentation of the award to Spacey by School of the Art Institute President Elissa Tenny and Siskel Advistory Board Chair Ellen Sandor.

In a statement, Siskel Film Center executive director Jean de St. Aubin paid tribute to Spacey’s long support of the center, noting he “understands the importance of the Film Center to continue to present cutting-edge programming that showcases unique and diverse talent and showcases provocative films outside of mainstream cinema.”

With this award, Spacey joins an illustrious group of previous recipients, including William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman, Michael Mann, Nicole Kidman, George Lucas, Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo and Scarlett Johansson.

The May 13 gala wil be co-chaired by longtime Film Center supporters and Advisory Board members Eda Davidman and Melissa Sage Fadim. Proceeds from the event will support the Siskel Center’s curated film programming, plus lecture series and discussions with visiting scholars and filmmakers.