Kevin Spacey Living ‘Out of Suitcases’ as He Awaits Hollywood Return
Despite facing years of allegations and professional setbacks, actor Kevin Spacey remains optimistic about a potential return to the spotlight, currently sustaining himself through gigs performing standards at a nightclub in Cyprus and temporary accommodations.
The 66-year-old actor, whose career effectively stalled in 2017 following accusations of sexual misconduct, detailed his current circumstances in a recent interview with The Telegraph, published Wednesday. While stopping short of describing himself as homeless, Spacey acknowledged a precarious financial situation. “Not great,” he stated, adding, “I’m living in hotels, I’m living in Airbnbs, I’m going where the work is. I literally have no home, that’s what I’m attempting to explain.” He has also lost his former residence in Baltimore to foreclosure.
Spacey’s fall from grace began when actor Anthony Rapp publicly alleged in 2017, via Buzzfeed, that Spacey made a sexual advance toward him in 1986, when Rapp was 14 years old and Spacey was 26. While a civil jury ultimately sided with Spacey in that case, the initial allegations triggered a cascade of further accusations of improper behavior. The American Beauty star has since admitted to “being too handsy” and acknowledged “touching someone sexually in a way that I didn’t know at the time they didn’t want.”
The allegations coincided with the rise of the “Me Too” movement and led to Spacey’s swift dismissal from the critically acclaimed Netflix series House of Cards. He has struggled to secure significant roles in the intervening years. Spacey drew a parallel between his situation and the Hollywood blacklist of the mid-20th century, when writers were ostracized for their political beliefs. He suggested that, much like Kirk Douglas’s decision to hire blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo for Spartacus, a single influential figure could pave the way for his comeback.
“When he (Douglas) said, ‘Dalton Trumbo’s name is going on ‘Spartacus,’ everyone around him said, ‘You’re crazy, you’re going to get cancelled,’” Spacey recounted. “And Kirk Douglas said, ‘You know what, we get to play the hero in movies, but it’s not that simple in life.’ He was willing to stand up and say enough is enough. The moment he did that, the blacklist was over.”
Spacey expressed hope that a call from a prominent director like Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino could reignite his career. “So, my feeling is if Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino call Evan (Lowenstein, Spacey’s manager) tomorrow, it will be over,” he said. “I will be incredibly honored and delighted when that level of talent picks up the phone.” He remains confident that a return to prominence is within reach: “And I believe it’s going to happen.”
Notably, Spacey has not been convicted of any criminal or civil wrongdoing related to the allegations against him. A criminal court in London acquitted him on July 23, 2023, of allegations of sexually assaulting four men. A separate case in Massachusetts, brought by the son of a former Boston news anchor, was dropped on July 17, 2019, due to questions surrounding the integrity of evidence – specifically, allegations that messages had been deleted from the accuser’s iPhone.
The Telegraph also reported that a fan attending Spacey’s performance in Cyprus appeared dismissive of the past accusations, stating, “He was acquitted! Isn’t that enough?” This sentiment underscores the complex and often polarized public perception surrounding the actor and his attempts at professional rehabilitation.
