Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, long the topic of rumor and innuendo regarding his sexuality, spoke -- or refused to speak -- about whether or not he is gay, in a new interview with The Daily Beast.

The interviewer, Kevin Sessums, is openly gay, and said the community has long welcomed Spacey as one of them -- but asks Spacey why he, a noted gay marriage advocate, has not come out and returned the favor.

"Look, I might have lived in England for the last several years but I'm still an American citizen and I have not given up my right to privacy," Spacey says, trying to stray from the subject. But when Sessums says that he does not believe one's sexuality was a private matter, Spacey gets even more defiant.

"People have different reasons for the way they live their lives. You cannot put everyone's reasons in the same box. It's just a line I've never crossed and never will," he says. Later, he asserts that not revealing his sexuality publicly does not qualify as living a lie.

Still, Spacey possibly alludes to the answer, saying, "Look, at the end of the day people have to respect people's differences. I am different than some people would like me to be."

The interview wasn't all about Spacey's sexuality -- in fact, the thrust of the talk was about his new movie, 'Casino Jack,' which opens on Friday. Based on the crimes of former Republican financier Jack Abramoff -- with Spacey playing lead -- it chronicles the rise and fall of GOP donors, aides and Congressmen, including former House Majority Leader Tom Delay (seen in this exclusive clip).

For more, including talk about Spacey's theater company in England, click over to The Daily Beast for the full interview.