Guy Pearce Reveals Fear of Kevin Spacey on ‘L.A. Confidential Set’: ‘He Targeted Me’

Actor Guy Pearce has opened up about his unsettling experiences with Kevin Spacey during the filming of the 1997 movie L.A. Confidential. In a recent interview, Pearce revealed that Spacey’s behavior made him feel uncomfortable and fearful on set.

Pearce described Spacey as “extremely charming and brilliant at what he does,” but also “quite an aggressive man.” He admitted to brushing off Spacey’s advances for months, telling himself, “Ah, that’s nothing.” Reflecting on that time, Pearce said, “I was young and susceptible, and he targeted me, no question.”

But I did that thing that you do where you brush it off and go, ‘Ah, that’s nothing. Ah, no, that’s nothing.’ And I did that for five months, and, really, I was sort of scared of Kevin because he’s quite an aggressive man. He’s extremely charming and brilliant at what he does – really impressive, etc. He holds a room remarkably. But I was young and susceptible, and he targeted me, no question.

The actor also shared that he felt safe only when co-star Simon Baker was present, as Spacey would then shift his attention away from him. It wasn’t until 2017, when multiple allegations against Spacey became public, that Pearce fully grasped the impact of his own experiences. He recalled, “I was in London working on something, and I heard [the reports] and I broke down and sobbed, and I couldn’t stop.”

I heard these stories about Kevin, sort of officially as news stories. I was in London working on something, and I heard [the allegations ] and I broke down and sobbed, and I couldn’t stop. I think it really sort of dawned on me the impact that had occurred and how I sort of brushed it off and how I had sort of either shelved it or blocked it out, or whatever. That was a really incredible wake-up call.

This isn’t the first time Pearce has spoken about Spacey’s inappropriate behavior. In a 2018 interview, he referred to Spacey as a “handsy guy” but didn’t elaborate further. Now, Pearce emphasizes the importance of honesty about such incidents, stating, “I just try to be more honest about it now and call it for … .“

Kevin Spacey has faced numerous allegations of sexual misconduct since 2017. In 2022, he was found not liable in a civil lawsuit brought by actor Anthony Rapp, who accused Spacey of making sexual advances toward him when Rapp was 14. In 2023, Spacey was acquitted following multiple sexual assault charges in the United Kingdom. Despite these legal outcomes, Spacey’s career and reputation have been significantly affected.

As of February 2025, Spacey continues to face legal challenges. Recently, actor Ruari Cannon filed a sexual abuse claim against him in London’s High Court, alleging inappropriate behavior during a theater event in 2013. Spacey has consistently denied all allegations against him.

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