J.K. Simmons: Finally people know me!

J.K. Simmons finds it "very gratifying" people now know his name.

The 60-year-old actor is no stranger to starring in big flicks, having appeared in movies such as the Spider-Man franchise and Up in the Air.

But it's his latest performance as music teacher Fletcher in Whiplash which has garnered the most attention, especially on the streets. Instead of fans exclaiming 'It's that guy!', J.K. is now referred to by name.

“You know, it's really great, and is very gratifying.

“It was really gratifying when people would stop me and say, ‘Hey, where do I know you from?’” he told New York Daily News.

“I very clearly remember - and I have a horrible memory - standing on the corner of 40th St. and Second Ave. the first time somebody came unto me and said, ‘Hey, are you J.K. Simmons?’ and they actually knew my name and not just, ‘I think I have seen you somewhere.’ It is wonderful."

He may be a Hollywood A-lister, winning best supporting actor at both the Golden Globes and BAFTAs for Whiplash, but the star is a New Yorker at heart. Before landing bigger jobs, J.K. was a Broadway actor and singer and he'll always credit his work on the stage for helping him bag parts on TV shows such as Law & Order and Oz.

There are also more personal memories in the city, where he started his family with wife Michelle Schumacher.

“My kids were both born in New York and I met my wife here when we did a Broadway musical together. For me, New York, man, it is the centre of the universe. It’s the Big Apple. It’s Broadway, it’s everything, it’s New York, New York the city so nice they named it twice," he gushed.

The star is nominated for the best supporting actor Oscar at the ceremony on Sunday.