In Italy, Kevin Spacey says he forgives those who accused him of abuse

American actor Kevin Spacey received the award for maximum excellence at the Italian Global Series Festival, held in the city of Riccione, in the Emilia-Romagna region, where he took the opportunity to speak about his dismissal due to several accusations of sexual crimes.

In yet another attempt to revive his career, after Massachusetts prosecutors closed a criminal case for sexual abuse against him, the actor said in a masterclass that he forgave those who immediately accused him in the alleged cases of harassment, which ended predominantly with his acquittal, and did not hold a grudge against critics.

"The experiences of the past seven years have allowed me to stop and re-reflect and listen. I am so grateful for the work I can do today on and off screen. I am so grateful for the people who stood by me and waited for the outcome of the trials before passing judgment on me. I will trust them for the rest of my life," said the "House of Cards" star.

At 65, Spacey stressed that all "those who immediately treated me as guilty have my forgiveness, but I will not seek out those people again."

Responding to questions from festival director Marco Spagnoli, the iconic actor discussed the trials he has faced in the US and UK in recent years, where he has been accused of sexual harassment and abuse of young girls, most of which have ended in acquittal verdicts - with two cases still open in the UK.

"The last seven years have been incredible. They have tested me, but they have allowed me to discover what true friendship is. I have become closer to my family and to myself," he admitted.

On the other hand, Spacey assured that he has no "resentment or anger" and does not seek revenge, but rather more love and understanding. The actor reinforced that he now tries to "understand instead of judge".

For him, "the media has its objectives, whatever they may be, but I feel welcomed by the people, as also happened here". Winner of two Oscars (for "The Usual Suspects" and "American Beauty"), the American also emphasized that he has never lacked the affection of the public.

During the masterclass, Spacey reviewed some of the most important stages of his career and was asked what advice Frank Underwood, the unscrupulous American president played in the series "House of Cards", would give to the current president, Donald Trump.

Smiling, he replied: "As an actor, I don't have any advice to give Trump, but as a former president, I can tell you that power is only a matter of perception and that it only lasts as long as people allow you to make it last." According to Spacey, the six seasons of the series were "one of the most exciting and fun experiences" of his career.

"I've never laughed as much as I did on that set. We believed in what we were doing, we had incredible writers and a fantastic cast," he concluded.

In recent years, the "American Beauty" star has continued working on small independent films, such as Franco Nero's "The Man Who Drew God," which the actor thanked "for hiring me when no one else would."

Currently, his finished projects include the thriller "The Awakening", by Matt Routledge, and the historical thriller "1780", by Dustin Fairbanks.

"I've always wanted to follow a similar path to actors like Jack Lemmon, who I consider my mentor, Jimmy Stewart or Spencer Tracy, who had careers that spanned decades and survived everything," he revealed.

Finally, he said he is "very interested in stories of redemption, stories of silence and survival, and the space between those words." "I feel like I've done a lot of research in that area. I have an understanding now that I didn't have seven years ago," he concluded.