Spacey said to be chosen at Old Vic

Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey will soon be named artistic director of the Old Vic Theater, perhaps today, a newspaper reported.

The Times of London said the announcement, which it labeled as a surprise, would be made with the support of Elton John, chairman of the Old Vic Theater Trust, which bought the 185-year-old theater in 1998 when it was in danger of closing.

Spacey, 43, who won Oscars for “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty,” has given a large donation to the Old Vic and will take a post once held by Jonathan Miller and Peter Hall, the Times said Tuesday. The position is now vacant.

The Old Vic is the former home of Laurence Olivier’s National Theater company. But the venue has struggled to forge an identity for itself since the trust took it over from Canadian owners Ed and David Mirvish five years ago.