Kevin Spacey is set to appear on television for the first time since he was fired from Netflix’s “House of Cards” in 2017. The actor will star as himself in the new Italian comedy series “Minimarket,” which will be available on Italy’s RaiPlay streaming service starting December 26, 2025. The show marks a significant step in Spacey’s attempt to return to acting after facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and related legal battles over the past eight years.
The Role and Premise of “Minimarket”
In “Minimarket,” Kevin Spacey will play a fictionalized version of himself. The plot centers on a young man named Manlio Viganò, played by Italian actor Filippo Laganà, who works in a Rome convenience store and dreams of becoming a television star. In the show, Spacey exists as Viganò’s imaginary mentor and “artistic conscience”.
According to the series description, their relationship is built on “bickering, misunderstandings and mutual teasing”. The show aims to blend “the experience of a man who has been on the world’s most important [movie and TV] sets” with “the recklessness of someone who does not realise that they have an Oscar-winner by their side”.
Promotional material shows Spacey and Laganà performing songs together, including Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and the Frank Sinatra classic “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”. The series is described as a low-budget production and will consist of ten episodes.
Kevin Spacey’s Career and Allegations Since 2017
Spacey’s career in major American film and television projects stopped in late 2017. This followed allegations of sexual misconduct first made public by actor Anthony Rapp. Rapp alleged that Spacey made a sexual advance toward him in 1986 when Rapp was 14 years old. After Rapp’s account was published, more than a dozen other people came forward with similar accusations.
The fallout was swift. Netflix suspended production on “House of Cards” and removed Spacey from the show’s final season. The film “All the Money in the World,” in which Spacey had already filmed scenes, reshot his role with actor Christopher Plummer. In 2022, a judge ordered Spacey to pay roughly $31 million to the producers of “House of Cards” for breach of contract after an arbitrator found he violated the company’s sexual harassment policy.
Spacey has denied all allegations. He was found not liable in a 2022 civil lawsuit in New York related to Anthony Rapp’s claims. In a separate criminal trial in London in 2023, a jury acquitted him of sexual assault charges. However, the actor still faces three new civil claims of sexual assault in a London court, with a trial expected in 2026.
Recent Work and Personal Statements
Following his departure from mainstream Hollywood, Spacey has taken roles in several smaller, independent films, primarily in Europe. These include the 2021 Italian film “The Man Who Drew God,” the 2024 thriller “The Contract,” where he played a character called “The Devil,” and the 2024 film “Peter Five Eight”. He also directed the film “Holiguards”.
In a recent interview, Spacey discussed the financial and personal cost of the last eight years.
“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… The costs over these last seven years have been astronomical. I’ve had very little coming in and everything going out,” he said.
He later clarified on social media that he was not “homeless in the colloquial sense” and was not comparing his situation to people living on the streets.
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How to Watch “Minimarket” and Global Availability
“Minimarket” is an Italian production for the state broadcaster RAI. Its primary release will be on RAI’s streaming platform, RaiPlay, beginning December 26, 2025. As of now, there has been no official announcement regarding an international release or whether the series will be available with English subtitles or dubbing on global platforms. For viewers outside Italy, access will likely depend on RaiPlay’s geographic availability or subsequent international distribution deals.
The series represents Spacey’s first television role since his tenure as Frank Underwood on “House of Cards” ended. His return to a TV screen, even on a foreign network, is a notable development for the two-time Oscar-winning actor whose career was once among the most prominent in Hollywood.
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