Sharon Stone and Liam Neeson support Kevin Spacey’s return to acting

Sharon Stone, Liam Neeson and more actors are speaking out in defense of Kevin Spacey and calling for his return to the industry at large. Spacey has not worked in Hollywood since he was accused by multiple men of sexual misconduct starting in 2017. The two-part documentary “Spacey Unmasked” recently aired in the UK and is now streaming on Max and features never-before-seen testimony about Spacey’s allegations of sexual misconduct. , including a claim that he groped another “House of Cards” actor on set.

In statements made to the Telegraph, Stone and Neeson were joined by Stephen Fry and F Murray Abraham in their calls for Spacey’s return. Abraham himself was accused of sexual misconduct during the production of the Apple TV+ series “Mythic Quest,” which reportedly led to his firing.

“I look forward to seeing Kevin back at work. He’s a genius. He is so stylish and fun, generous to the extreme and knows more about our craft than most of us ever will,” Stone told the Telegraph, adding that it was clear that aspiring actors “ wanted and wanted to be with him.”

“It’s terrible that they blame him for not being able to reconcile with him because they used him and negotiated with themselves because they didn’t understand their secret agendas,” added Stone.

Neeson told the publication he “was deeply saddened to learn of these accusations against” Spacey, but added: “Kevin is a good man and a man of character. He is sensitive, articulate and non-judgmental, with a wonderful sense of humor. He is also one of our finest performers in theater and on camera. Personally, our industry needs him and we miss him greatly.

“I vouch for him unequivocally,” Abraham said. “Who are these vultures who attack a man who has publicly accepted his responsibility for certain behaviors, unlike so many others?… He is a good man, I am at his side and may he who is without sin throw the first rock. »

Fry took aim at the documentary “Spacey Unasked” and said that to “put (Spacey) on hold with Harvey Weinstein” and “continue to harass and hound him, dedicate an entire documentary to accusations that just don’t add up reality “. crimes… how can this be considered proportionate and justified?

Spacey himself has previously criticized the documentary. In an interview with journalist Dan Wootton, the Oscar winner lamented being shut out of the industry, saying, “No one in Hollywood ever offered me a way back. There are no course materials. I was given no boxes to check, nothing at all. It seems some people are content to write me off forever. It’s a life sentence.

Since allegations of Spacey’s inappropriate behavior and sexual assault first surfaced in the wake of the #MeToo movement in 2017, several lawsuits have been filed against the two-time Oscar winner. In 2022, a New York jury found that he did not assault actor Anthony Rapp, who accused him of sexual assault in the early 1980s when Rapp was 14. The following year, a British court found Spacey not guilty of nine sexual assault charges. assault by four complainants. Several other charges and prosecutions were dropped. Spacey has denied all allegations.

“Spacey Unmasked” includes a handful of new allegations made against Spacey, including a claim that he made a “sexually aggressive move” on a classmate in high school. Another claim claims that Spacey masturbated in a movie theater next to an actor while watching the opening scenes of “Saving Private Ryan.”