Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey credits his troubled childhood with preparing him for life as a movie star - because his family never had a permanent home.

The 48-year-old was born in New Jersey, but was forced to move house on a regular basis as his father was often out of work.

The family eventually settled in California in the mid-1960s.

But the American Beauty star insists the constant traveling, while frustrating at the time, was actually good practice for him - because as soon as he shot to fame, he spent much of his time living in hotels.

He says, "I think there is a nomadic quality to the life (as an actor). And the way I was raised… Well my family moved a lot., because my father lost jobs regularly, so we couldn’t pay the rent.

"In some cases we moved houses within blocks of each other. I think there was something about that sense of being uprooted…"