Two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey has said he forgives “those who rushed to judgment” before the results of his legal cases, but won’t work with those people in future.
The comments came during an on-stage interview today at the Italian Global Series Festival (IGSF) in Rimini, where the actor said he was “incredibly excited about going back to work in a substantial way.”
Asked by IGSF Artistic Director Marco Spagnoli about how his legal issues have changed him, Spacey said: “These experiences have allowed me to stop, assess, reassess and listen, and be very grateful for the work I’m able to do both on screen and off screen.
“I’m filled with gratitude for those in my industry who stood by me, those individuals who were willing to wait for an outcome in the courts before they decided how they felt about me. Those people have my trust, and I will do everything I can to maintain their trust for the rest of my life.”
Without naming names, he added: “For those who rushed to judgment and decided I was guilty, and treated me accordingly, they have my forgiveness, but I am not seeking them out to collaborate.”
Spacey was awarded a Maximo Excellence Award earlier this week, one of several accolades Italian film and TV organizations have bestowed on him in recent years. During his acceptance speech he referenced Federico Fellini, his Se7en co-stars Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, and Italian director Franco Nero, who he praised for casting him in 2021 at a time when many others wouldn’t.
Spacey was met at the Italian event today by an excitable crowd of students, families and the other members of the public, along with journalists who were not allowed to ask questions during a Q&A.
He told the largely partizan audience: “I’ve been doing a lot of work on my own, [and] I continue to make movies. I mentioned Franco Nero at the awards ceremony because he was the first to stand up and cast me, and that started a trend. I’ve been working ever since and I’m incredibly excited about going back to work in a substantial way because I have so many stories that I’m going to tell.”
In Cannes last month, The Usual Suspects star made a dig at those who questioned an award he received there: “Who would have ever thought that honoring someone who has been exonerated in every court room he’s ever walked into would be thought of as a brave idea? But here we are.” He discussed “blacklisting” and cancel culture during the speech. The House of Cards and Se7en actor was feted on the Riviera with a Better World Fund Gala Award for Excellence in Film and Television — a prize which isn’t officially associated with the Cannes Film Festival.
Since 2017, Spacey has been dogged by legal issues, which have derailed his Hollywood career. He was acquitted of the sexual assault of four men in the UK two years ago, and was found not liable in a U.S. civil case brought by actor Anthony Rapp. A spate of men alleged inappropriate behaviour by the actor during his time working on House Of Cards and while working in the UK theater.
He is now facing a new UK suit from another actor, Ruari Cannon, who contributed to a 2024 documentary about Spacey on Channel 4 and Investigation Discovery. Spacey has previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to Cannon, labelling the claims as “anonymized and non-specific” while criticizing the documentary for not giving him and his people enough time to respond.
Spacey has said in the past that he may have behaved inappropriately during his career, but denies that he behaved illegally.
Despite the new case, Spacey continues to act in independent movies on the fringe of the market. His casting in Nero’s The Man Who Drew God led to other roles, such as in conspiracy thriller The Awakening, which launched in Cannes with Cloud9 Studios aboard for sales, as well as thrillers Peter Five Eight, 1780 and other projects.
