Two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey recently appeared at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 after being acquitted of sexual harassment charges in 2023. The acclaimed actor seemed emotional during his speech as he received an award for Excellence in Film and Television from The Better World Fund Gala. Additionally, Kevin Spacey addressed how Hollywood has blacklisted artists facing controversy over the years.
So, here are all the details you need to know about the actor’s Cannes 2025 appearance and his speech.
Kevin Spacey gets emotional during Cannes speech
The Usual Suspects star said, “I’m Still Standing” at the Cannes 2025, referencing his close friend Elton John’s eponymous song. Kevin Spacey delivered a lengthy speech, talking about the history of artists who have been “blacklisted.”
The 12-time Emmy-nominated actor recalled various creative people in Hollywood who have previously faced blacklisting by the industry. Spacey recalled Oscar-winning screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who stopped getting work for more than a decade.
The House of Cards actor then reminded the audience that it was Kirk Douglas who brought Trumbo back at great risk. He noted, “Kirk Douglas took the risk and would later say, ‘It’s easy for us actors to play the hero 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.”
Spacey continued, “There are times when one has to stand up for principle. I have learned a lot from history. It very often repeats itself. The blacklist was a terrible time in our industry. But we must learn from it so that it never happens again.” (via Deadline)
After drawing parallels with Trumbo’s controversy, Kevin Spacey also cited the WGA blacklisting producer and writer Tim Doyle. He then went on to thank his manager, Evan Lowenstein. Moreover, the 65-year-old actor credited the latter for helping him get through the past few years.
The American Beauty star shared how Lowenstein helped him come out of the “last few challenging years not angry, not bitter, not resentful, but more present, more loving, more understanding, and more forgiving than I ever have been in my life.”
In 2017, Kevin Spacey faced several sexual harassment allegations. However, in 2023, a jury in a London court found him “not guilty” of nine charges.
