Anthony Rapp has shared why, 30 years later, he decided to come forward about Kevin Spacey

Bravery is contagious. Anthony Rapp — the actor who accused Kevin Spacey of making unwanted sexual advances toward him in 1986 when Rapp was only 14 — says he found the strength to come forward about his experience with Spacey more than 30 years later after so many women came forward before him.

The Star Trek: Discovery actor told British magazine Attitude that he decided to speak out because other sexual harassment and assault survivors were speaking out — and the world was actually starting to listen.

"In this moment, with what’s happened, it’s become clear that people can be believed and that it can have an impact," Anthony Rapp said in the interview. "The entire apparatus that kept people silent and also kept [those guilty of harassment] safe is being dismantled."

Rapp going public with his accusations against Spacey in an interview with BuzzFeed News, in turn, inspired others who’d been afraid to go public to share their experiences. Eight House of Cards employees soon came forward with their own accounts of abuse. Then, Richard Dreyfuss’s son Harry said Spacey had groped him with his father in the room. The Old Vic theater in London launched a full investigation into Spacey’s behavior and found 20 allegations against him. And Spacey was fired from House of Cards and completely edited out of the just-completed All the Money in the World.

Clearly, the momentum of the #MeToo movement that encouraged Rapp to break his silence has continued to make an impact.

I came forward with my story, standing on the shoulders of the many courageous women and men who have been speaking out 1/3

— Anthony Rapp SAG-AFTRA National & NY Board Member (@albinokid) October 30, 2017

That power to create change in a system that has long been stacked in predators’ favor isn’t lost on Rapp. The actor says he’s been moved by how much support he’s gotten in the past four months, and he hopes the self-reflection that’s now gripping Hollywood continues and stretches further:

“To be part of a movement that I think will make a real lasting difference is something that’s bigger than any individual, it’s really a time of reckoning that will transform our industry, and I hope other industries.

Here’s hoping Anthony Rapp’s journey from inspired to inspiring keeps it going.