Kevin Spacey has alleged film bosses are blocking his acting career, in the face of public support.
Last week, the Oscar-winning actor denied new allegations of inappropriate behaviour from men who featured in a two-part Channel 4 documentary titled Spacey Unmasked, which was released on Monday and Tuesday.
The documentary came after he was acquitted of a number of sexual offences alleged by four men between 2001 and 2013 after a trial in London and won a US civil lawsuit after being accused of an unwanted sexual advance at a party in 1986.
I will no longer be speechless.
Thank you in advance to all of those who take the time to view this interview. 🙏🏼 https://t.co/OppjgctQuW
— Kevin Spacey (@KevinSpacey) May 3, 2024
“I do think the British public are more mature than Channel 4, and I believe every time I have come back to London we are stopped by so many people who are so kind and say such generous things.
“And if there was a theme to what they are talking about it is this: ‘When are you going back to work? This has gone too far’,” Spacey told the Telegraph newspaper.
The US star previously claimed he had “repeatedly requested” that Channel 4 give him more than seven days to respond to the allegations made about him in their documentary and said the broadcaster refused.
It was alleged that a number of acting offers for Spacey could now be in jeopardy as a result of the documentary.
“There is no doubt this has been a challenging couple of weeks, but I am incredibly excited about a number of projects I would be so honoured to bring to life,” Spacey told the Telegraph.
“I have been so pleased directors, producers and fellow actors have absolutely said ‘yes’ – but someone in some office in some distribution company or network has said ‘no, we can’t buy a film with Kevin Spacey in it’.
“An individual I have never met is deciding for the public – except in a couple of cases – that some people might be upset. You can Google anybody’s name and somebody will have a problem with them,” he said.
Spacey also questioned why the the industry has not been more welcoming towards him since his acquittal.
“I find it confusing that I am in an industry in which a great number of its most celebrated individuals spend a tremendous amount of time talking about how important redemption is and extend a remarkable path for people who served in prison and did their time,” the 64-year-old said.
“We see so many people talk with so much empathy about how these individuals should be given a path back, and isn’t it ironic and strange that the same path doesn’t seem available if you are in the industry itself.”
The US star said those with right-wing views have shown him an “enormous amount of support” and offered him a “path”, in stark comparison with those of left-wing views.
Spacey was one of the most recognised faces in Hollywood when allegations of sexual misconduct were made in 2017, leading streaming giant Netflix to cut ties with the actor.
A representative for Channel 4 has been contacted for comment.