Guy Pearce Alleges Kevin Spacey 'Targeted' Him on the Set ofL.A. Confidential: 'I Was Scared' of Him

Mar. 15, 2025

Guy Pearce in Santa Barbara, California, on Feb. 13, 2025; Kevin Spacey in London on July 26, 2023.Photo:Tibrina Hobson/Getty; Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty

Tibrina Hobson/Getty; Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty

Guy Pearceis getting candid about his experience onL.A. ConfidentialwithKevin Spacey.

TheBrutaliststar opened up onThe Hollywood Reporter’sAwards Chatterpodcast, during an episode released Saturday, Feb. 15, about his unpleasant time working with Spacey on the 1997 film.

“I was scared of Kevin because he’s quite an aggressive man, and … extremely charming and brilliant at what he does — and really impressive, etc. He holds a room remarkably," said Pearce, 57, alleging, “But I was young and susceptible, and he targeted me, no question.”

He said that his then-wifeKate Mestitzhad been there with him during filming and he’d tell her that the “only days” he felt “safe” on set were the ones when his costarSimon Bakerwas also there, because he was “dumped like a hot potato” and [Spacey] focused on [Baker] since “he was 10 times prettier than I am.”

An attorney for Spacey, 65, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Tuesday, Feb. 18.

From L: James Cromwell, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe and Kevin Spacey inL.A. Confidential(1997).Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection

Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection

Pearce said on the podcast that while he didn’t want to use the word “victim,” he brushed off the encounters and went, “Ah, no that’s nothing” for “five months.” It wasn’t until 2017, when the#MeToo movementstarted gaining traction that “everything came to light.”

“[I] heard these stories about Kevin sort of officially as new stories,” he recalled. “I was in London working on something, and I heard this and I broke down and sobbed, and I couldn’t stop.”

“And I think it really dawned on me the impact that had occurred, and how I’d sort of brushed it off, and how I shelved it or blocked it out or whatever. That was a really incredible wakeup call,” Pearce continued, noting he also had “a couple of confrontations” with Spacey post-2017 that got “ugly.”

Pearceinitially opened up about the experiencewhile chatting with Australian talk show host Andrew Denton in 2018. During the interview, theShroudsactor said that he had a “slightly difficult time with Kevin,” and noted, “He’s a handsy guy.”

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Kevin Spacey in New York City on May 24, 2017.Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage

Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage

Pearce addressed on theAwards Chatterpodcast why he eventually shared his story at the time, saying, “I [didn’t] want all the focus on this, but at the same time, I don’t want him to get away with what he gets away with.”

While discussing why he was able to talk about the experience now, he added, “I just try to be more honest about it now, and call it for what it is.”

Kevin Spacey in London on June 28, 2023.Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

In 2022, a New York jury found that Spacey wasnot liable for batteryin relation to Rapp’s accusations; the following year, a U.K. court found himnot guilty of nine counts of alleged sexual assault, with additional initial charges in the case struck as well.Allegations against the actor havecontinued to amassin documentaries like Investigation Discovery’sSpacey Unmasked, released in May 2024.

Spacey, who also received criticism forcoming out as gay in response to Rapp’s initial accusationsin 2017, has denied all claims made against him.

Amid his controversies, Spaceyhas received supportfrom multiple fellow actors, includingSharon StoneandLiam Neeson.

source: people.com