Double Academy Award-winner Kevin Spacey, whose stellar acting career was derailed by sex assault allegations, goes on trial in London this week, accused of sexual offenses against four men in Britain.

WHAT IS HE ACCUSED OF?

Spacey, 63, faces a dozen charges, including of sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

The actor, charged under his full name of Kevin Spacey Fowler, has pleaded not guilty to all 12 counts, which relate to alleged incidents between 2001 and 2013.

At an earlier hearing, Spacey鈥檚 lawyer said the actor 鈥渟trenuously denies鈥� the charges. The attorney said Spacey would face the U.K. court to establish his innocence and 鈥減roceed with his life.鈥�

His trial before a jury at Southwark Crown Court opens Wednesday and is scheduled to last for four weeks.

WHY IS THE TRIAL IN BRITAIN?

Spacey spent more than a decade living in Britain, where he was artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre from 2004 to 2015. He was a high-profile figure in London, starring in productions including William Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥淩ichard III鈥� and David Mamet鈥檚 鈥淪peed-the-Plow,鈥� and hosting star-studded fundraising events for the 200-year-old venue.

Spacey was questioned by British police in 2019 about claims by several men that he had assaulted them. He was charged in May 2022 with five counts against three alleged victims. Another seven charges, all against a fourth man, were added in November.

Spacey, who has addresses in Britain and the U.S., has been free on unconditional bail as he awaited trial.

WHAT鈥橲 SPACEY鈥橲 FUTURE?

From the 1990s, Spacey became one of the most celebrated actors of his generation, starring in films including 鈥淕lengarry Glen Ross鈥� and 鈥淟A Confidential.鈥� He won a best supporting actor Academy Award for the 1995 film 鈥淭he Usual Suspects鈥� and a lead actor Oscar for the 1999 movie 鈥淎merican Beauty.鈥�

After allegations emerged in the U.S. amid the growing #MeToo movement, Spacey was fired or removed from projects 鈥� most notably 鈥淗ouse of Cards,鈥� the Netflix political thriller where for five seasons he played lead character Frank Underwood, a power-hungry congressman who becomes president. He was cut from the completed film 鈥淎ll the Money in the World,鈥� and the scenes reshot with Christopher Plummer.

Spacey is adamant that his career is not over. He had his first film role for several years in Italian director Franco Nero鈥檚 鈥淭he Man Who Drew God,鈥� played the late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman in biopic 鈥淥nce Upon a Time in Croatia鈥� and also starred in as-yet unreleased U.S. film 鈥淧eter Five Eight.鈥�

In January he was feted with a lifetime achievement award from Italy鈥檚 National Cinema Museum in Turin. He also taught a masterclass and introduced a sold-out screening of 鈥淎merican Beauty鈥� in what were billed as Spacey鈥檚 first speaking engagements in five years.

Spacey saluted organizers for 鈥渕aking a strong defense of artistic achievement鈥� and for having 鈥渓e palle鈥� 鈥� the Italian word for male body parts synonymous with courage 鈥� to invite him.

He told Germany鈥檚 Zeit magazine in a rare recent interview that the media had turned him into a 鈥渕onster.鈥� But he said 鈥渢here are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London.鈥�

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press

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