Kevin Spacey Anxious Trump Administration May Cancel Kennedy Center Honor
"I'm getting this Mark Twain. But again, the anxiety of whether they're gonna cancel it or whatever. But it's at the Kennedy Center. No longer the Trump Center. I don't know if that's gonna rile him up."
About this episode
Kevin Spacey appears on Bill Maher's podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about his career, cancelation, and the inconsistencies of Hollywood's response to controversy. The most significant revelation is that Netflix has shelved Dear Mr. Vidal, a completed 2017 film in which Spacey plays Gore Vidal alongside what he describes as an Academy Award-worthy performance by co-star Michael Skolberg. Spacey pleads for Netflix to either release the film or give it to another distributor, arguing the cast and crew shouldn't be punished. Spacey also reveals anxiety about his upcoming Mark Twain Prize at the Kennedy Center, worried it could be canceled and joking about whether Trump might attend. The conversation touches on the Michael Jackson biopic's success despite allegations, with both men critiquing Hollywood's inconsistent standards for forgiving controversial figures. Spacey shares formative stories from his youth, including Jack Lemmon encouraging him at age 13 to pursue acting and later mentoring him through multiple projects including Long Day's Journey into Night and Glengarry Glen Ross. The discussion ranges across topics including Johnny Carson impressions, the evolution of talk shows, and the current cultural climate around cancel culture, with both men suggesting the pendulum may eventually swing back. Maher and Spacey bond over their shared status as cultural provocateurs navigating an unforgiving landscape.
Key takeaways
- Netflix has shelved Kevin Spacey's completed 2017 film Dear Mr. Vidal despite what Spacey calls Academy Award-worthy performances from the cast.
- Spacey expresses anxiety his upcoming Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize could be canceled and jokes about Trump potentially attending the ceremony.
- Spacey criticizes Hollywood's inconsistency in forgiving controversial figures, citing the Michael Jackson biopic's billion-dollar success despite abuse allegations.
- Jack Lemmon told 13-year-old Spacey he was meant to be an actor and later mentored him in Long Day's Journey into Night and other productions.
- Spacey argues art should not be suppressed over allegations alone and believes the cultural climate will eventually correct itself.
- Both Spacey and Maher suggest cancel culture is not dead but waiting, with Andrew Sullivan quoted saying it's like an assassin.
- Spacey performed stand-up comedy at Catch a Rising Star in the early 1980s while developing his Johnny Carson impression at Juilliard.