[5] He began his career as a stage actor, with his early roles including productions of Raymond Storey's Girls in the Gang,[6] Laurie Fyffe's Bush Fire,[7] Peter Anderson's Rattle in the Dash,[8] George F. Walker's Nothing Sacred,[9] and Brad Fraser's Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love.
[10] Spottiswood and Zachary Bennett were cast together in Looking for Miracles after producer Kevin Sullivan noticed their camaraderie when he saw them horsing around together in the waiting room at the auditions.
[11] Although he was already 25 years old, he noted that his youthful appearance, which enabled him to credibly play a teenager, opened up acting opportunities for him where he wouldn't have to compete against more established actors in his age range like Michael Riley, Ted Dykstra or Maurice Godin.
[1] Following Looking for Miracles he made guest appearances in film and television, but continued to be more prominent as a stage actor, including in Storey's The Saints and Apostles,[12] Walker's Escape from Happiness[13] and Theatre of the Film Noir,[14] Dorothy L. Sayers's Busman's Honeymoon,[15] and Wendy Lill's All Fall Down.
[16] He also began directing stage plays in this era, beginning with a 1991 production of Sean Dixon's End of the World Romance.