(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Kevin Spacey admits he was a "geek" in school.

The 52-year-old actor did not have an easy time in junior high. His bashfulness and penchant for theatre left him feeling awkward around his peers.

"When I was growing up I was the drama geek that people made fun of in school," Kevin said at the launch of the Amex Be Inspired for Prince's Trust campaign in London on Thursday.

Kevin's love for acting afforded him a life-changing opportunity in his teenage years. Through embarking on his passion, he was able to flourish despite his adolescent awkwardness.

"I was lucky because I got this incredible opportunity through my drama class, because I got to take part in a theatre workshop being run by one of my idols, the incredible Jack Lemmon," Kevin recalled. "I was 14 years old, and I cannot tell you what it meant to me as this young kid with a dream of being an actor, but hadn't had the experiences that gave me a sense of confidence but after I finished doing a scene, Jack came up to me and goes, 'That was terrific kid, you should be doing this professionally. What's your name?'"

The encouragement from his idol sent Kevin soaring in his profession. The confidence that Jack's statement inspired in him helped Kevin establish himself as a formidable actor.

"It just gave me this incredible sense of, 'Wow this person I admire so much has just praised me,' and it just shows what can happen when adults can say just the right thing at just the right moment to a young person," Kevin said. "Without question it changed my life and amazingly 13 years later I got to play the role of Jack Lemmon's son in a Broadway production of Long Day's Journey Into Night which was one of my first big parts." (C) Cover Media