Actor Guy Pearce recently opened up about his unsettling experiences with Kevin Spacey on the set of the 1997 film L.A. Confidential. Pearce claimed that Spacey "targeted" him during the filming process, causing significant discomfort. He described Spacey as a "handsy guy" and mentioned having had "a couple of confrontations" with him that "got ugly." Despite Pearce's initial attempts to ignore Spacey's behavior, he admitted that he felt uncomfortable for the duration of the five-month shoot.
Pearce, who was 29 years old at the time, expressed his fear of Spacey, calling him "quite an aggressive man" and "extremely charming." He also acknowledged Spacey's professional prowess, describing him as "brilliant at what he does" and "really impressive." However, the discomfort Pearce experienced persisted, prompting him to eventually share his feelings with his wife, who was living with him in Los Angeles during the filming period.
Decades after the filming of L.A. Confidential, Pearce found himself grappling with the effects of his interactions with Spacey. It wasn't until 2018, during an interview on an Australian talk show, that he publicly addressed the issue.
"I was in London working on something, and I heard [the reports] and I broke down and sobbed, and I couldn't stop," – Guy Pearce
Pearce recounted how he finally began to process the gravity of his experience.
"I think it really dawned on me the impact that had occurred and how I sort of brushed it off and how I had either shelved it or blocked it out or whatever. That was a really incredible wake-up call." – Guy Pearce
In a candid reflection, Pearce clarified that while he was not sexually assaulted or molested, he was indeed made to feel uncomfortable by Spacey's behavior.
"I very much understand that it's too sensitive a topic to be brushed off. Although I wasn't sexually assaulted or molested, I was made to feel uncomfortable. I addressed and handled the situation when it took place, hence my regret at making it public now." – Guy Pearce
Despite his efforts to manage the situation at the time, Pearce expressed a desire to be more open about his experience.
"I don't want him to get away with what he gets away with. So I just try and be more honest about it now and call it for what it is." – Guy Pearce
In response to Pearce's accusations, Kevin Spacey released a video addressing the matter. In it, Spacey suggested that if Pearce had been upset by their interactions, he could have reached out directly to discuss it.
"We worked together a long time ago. If I did something then that upset you, you could have reached out to me, we could have had that conversation," – Kevin Spacey
Spacey also expressed confusion about why Pearce would have led him on if he didn't enjoy spending time together.
"I apologize that I didn't get the message that you don't like spending time with me. Maybe there was another reason, I don't know. But that doesn't make any sense that you would have just been leading me on." – Kevin Spacey
Furthermore, Spacey denied any victimization of Pearce.
"You're not a victim. You're not a victim." – Kevin Spacey
Reflecting on the dynamics on set, Pearce noted that he felt safest when fellow actor Simon Baker was present.
"The only days I feel safe is when [Simon Baker] is on set because I’m dumped like a hot potato, and [Kevin] focuses on [Simon] because he's ten times prettier than I am." – Guy Pearce
Although Pearce acknowledged feeling victimized by Spacey to some degree, he emphasized that his experience was less severe compared to others who have suffered at the hands of sexual predators.
"Even though I probably was a victim to a degree, I was certainly not a victim by any means to the extent that other people have been to sexual predators," – Guy Pearce
