Kevin Spacey, the Hollywood star of films like The Usual Suspects and Seven, hasn’t seen his career rebound ever since he was accused of sexual misconduct by fellow actor Anthony Rapp and others. Spacey was acquitted of all charges in 2022, but the two-time Academy Award winner is struggling to find roles in Hollywood. Although a lifetime achievement award at the Cannes Film Festival could be the beginning of his revival, Spacey delivered a controversial speech that is sure to further polarize audiences.
As per a report by Deadline, Spacey attended the Better World Fund Gala to accept the Award for Excellence in Film and Television. The five-hour event ran smoothly, with Spacey occasionally chatting with fellow attendees. When the moment came to step up to the stage, Spacey thanked the organization:
“I’d like to congratulate Manuel (Collas de La Roche, Better World Fund President and Founder) for the decision to invite me here tonight to accept this award. Who would have ever thought that honoring someone who has been exonerated in every courtroom he’s ever walked into would be thought of as a brave idea. But here we are.”
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The American Beauty star then talked about Hollywood blacklisting and “cancel culture,” comparing his situation to McCarthyism. The actor used the example of writer Dalton Trumbo, who was accused of being a communist during this blacklisting period. Star Kirk Douglas was threatened to be canceled if he ever decided to work with Trumbo on Spartacus. Spacey said that Douglas “took the risk, but he said this, ‘It’s easier for us actors to play the heroes on screen. We get to fight the bad guys and stand up for justice. But in real life, the choices are not always so clear.'”
“I’ve learned a lot from history — it often repeats itself. The Blacklist was a terrible time in our history [we must remember] so that it never happens again.”
Will Kevin Spacey Ever Recover the Status He Had Before Being Accused?
Spacey further stirred controversy by offering another example. The actor talked about Tim Doyle, the television producer and writer who was censured by the WGA after he posted a controversial image of a “racist and offensive depiction of a lynching” on Facebook, for which he later apologized. Doyle was recently pardoned by the organization, and Spacey compared his fallout to Doyle’s, saying that “Tim hasn’t been able to get work since.” The actor continued: “History does repeat itself, but only if we allow it to. Two weeks ago, the Writers Guild in a vote with all their members reversed their censure of Tim and at the same time, Manuel invited me here to accept this award!”
Spacey is now slowly making a comeback. But it’s still too early to tell if he’ll ever achieve the same status he had before the accusations. “Well, I’m glad to be working — I’ll tell you that!” Spacey said when a reporter asked him if this was the beginning of his comeback. The actor is currently promoting The Awakening, a film he shot in 2023, though it has yet to secure a distributor. His presence at the Cannes Film Festival is not a coincidence, as he’s set to meet some potential buyers.
In any case, Spacey is entering the spotlight again. He has been seen in public, and he surprised everyone when appearing at the red carpet event at Cannes, and thanked those who supported him throughout his ordeal: “I feel surrounded by so much affection and love. I’ve heard from so many of my friends and colleagues and co-stars in the last week since this award was announced. I feel surrounded by support, and it’s very nice to be back.”
Source: Deadline
This story originally appeared on Movieweb