NEWS'I'm Still Standing': Kevin Spacey Compares Himself to 'Blacklisted' Hollywood Writer Dalton Trumbo During Fiery Cannes Speech
Kevin Spacey compared himself to Dalton Trumbo.
Kevin Spacey re-emerged on the red carpet at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, making waves with a lifetime achievement award that has sparked fresh discussion about his tumultuous past.
The Usual Suspects star took the opportunity to complain about Hollywood "blacklisting" him during the #MeToo movement.
Kevin Spacey gave a speech at Cannes.
On Tuesday night, the 65-year-old actor appeared at the Better World Fund's gala dinner, where he was honored for "excellence in film and television."
The occasion marked his first appearance at Cannes since 2016. "I feel surrounded by so much affection and love," Spacey told journalists ahead of the event.
"I've heard from so many of my friends and colleagues and co-stars in the last week since this award was announced," he added.
Throughout his acceptance speech, Spacey referenced his banishment from Hollywood, a point that didn’t go unnoticed by attendees.
"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," he quipped, shedding light on the current climate of the industry. Spacey went on to compare himself to Dalton Trumbo, the famed screenwriter blacklisted during the McCarthy era.
"It was a long, long time ago, but we have to think about the pushback that [Kirk Douglas] received after he made the brave decision to stand up for fellow colleague, two-time Oscar-winning screenwriter Dalton Trumbo — He couldn’t find work in Hollywood for 13 years. But even after he was warned if he tried to hire Trumbo as the credited screenwriter for Spartacus in 1960, he’d be called a Commie lover, and his career and professional status would be canceled," the actor told gala attendees. "There are times when one has to stand up for principle."
"I've learned a lot from history — it often repeats itself," he continued. "The blacklist was a terrible time in our history so that it never happens again."
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Kevin Spacey claims he was 'blacklisted' in Hollywood.
The House of Cards star has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen men since 2017.
He was found not guilty in a 2023 case in London in which four men alleged he sexually assaulted them between 2001 and 2013.
Before that, he was found not liable in a 2022 civil lawsuit brought by actor Anthony Rapp, who accused Spacey of molesting him in 1986 when he was 14, and Spacey was 26.
Kevin Spacey was found not guilty for sexual assault.
Spacey ended his speech by sharing his gratitude to his manager, Evan Lowenstein, who stood by him through the tumultuous years.
"Challenging... not angry, not bitter, not resentful," Spacey acknowledged, while claiming he emerged "more loving, more understanding, and more forgiving than I ever have been in my life."
He also included a heartfelt nod to his "friend" Elton John, proclaiming, "I'm still standing," before exiting the stage.
