Kevin Spacey tears up on return to Cannes, cites Elton John: ‘I’m nonetheless standing’-OxBig News Network

Kevin Spacey receives the Excellence in Film and Television award from Better World Fund president Manuel Collas de La Roche in the course of the Better World Fund tenth Anniversary Gala Dinner in the course of the 78th worldwide movie pageant in Cannes
| Photo Credit: AP

Kevin Spacey returned to the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday night for the primary time since 2016, delivering a defiant and emotional speech throughout a gala hosted by the Better World Fund. The occasion, which awarded Spacey a lifetime achievement honor, marked a big second for the actor following years of authorized battles and business exile.

Spacey, who was discovered not responsible in each U.S. and U.Okay. courtrooms on a number of sexual assault costs, took the stage to mirror on his expertise. Drawing comparisons between his personal fallout and the blacklisting of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, he thanked the group for inviting him regardless of the controversy. “Who would have ever thought that honoring someone who has been exonerated in every single courtroom he’s ever walked into would be thought of as a brave idea,” he mentioned.

Referencing actor Kirk Douglas, who championed Trumbo in the course of the McCarthy period, Spacey added, “It’s easy for us actors to play the hero on screen… but in real life, the choices are not always so clear.”

He concluded his remarks by quoting Elton John: “I’m still standing,” describing the music legend as a “friend.”

Better World Fund president Manuel Collas de la Roche praised Spacey as an artist who embodies the intersection of “art and influence.” The occasion additionally featured a charity public sale, with high-priced gadgets like a guitar signed by Sting and a cigar humidifier.

Spacey’s go to coincides with efforts to promote his upcoming movie The Awakening, a British indie thriller wherein he performs the pinnacle of a secretive international cabal. The movie is his first since being acquitted within the U.Okay. in 2023 and is being promoted at this 12 months’s market.