Guy Pearce Opens Up About His Uncomfortable Encounters with Kevin Spacey on L.A. Confidential Set

 

In a candid new interview, Guy Pearce revealed some deeply personal reflections on his time working with Kevin Spacey during the making of L.A. Confidential in 1997. Pearce, who is currently Oscar-nominated for his role in The Brutalist, got emotional while sharing how he processed the uncomfortable experiences he had with Spacey on set—experiences that only fully hit him years later.

During an interview on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, Pearce recalled how, at the time, he brushed off Spacey’s advances. “I just thought, ‘Ah, that’s nothing,’” Pearce admitted. “But looking back, I realize I was sort of scared of Kevin. He’s a very charming and aggressive man, and I was young, susceptible.” Pearce was particularly uncomfortable around Spacey’s attention, which he described as focused on him at times, while other days, he found himself ignored when Simon Baker was around.

Pearce made headlines a few years ago when he briefly touched on this in an interview, calling Spacey “a handsy guy” but quickly clarifying he wasn’t sexually assaulted. Still, Pearce acknowledged that the whole situation made him feel uncomfortable and that it wasn’t until much later that he could fully grasp the impact of those moments.

That moment of clarity came in 2017, when the #MeToo movement was in full swing, and more allegations against Spacey came to light. Pearce was in London at the time when news broke about Anthony Rapp’s accusations of Spacey making advances toward him when he was just 14. Pearce was hit hard by the revelations. “I broke down and sobbed,” he said. “I think it really dawned on me the impact that had occurred and how I had either shelved it or blocked it out.” He admitted that hearing those stories acted as a “wake-up call” for him.

Though Pearce hasn't gone into specifics about his confrontations with Spacey, he now feels more comfortable being open about what happened. “I try to be more honest about it now and call it for what it is,” Pearce shared. Despite the emotional toll, he remains firm in wanting to ensure Spacey’s actions don’t go unchallenged, even if his own experience was not as severe as others’.

This interview comes at a pivotal time, as Spacey continues to deny all allegations against him. After being acquitted of all charges in a British court in 2023, Spacey claimed he was humbled by the verdict. However, Pearce’s willingness to speak out reflects a larger conversation about Hollywood, power dynamics, and the importance of holding people accountable.

In his Awards Chatter chat, Pearce also delved into his career, reflecting on his early years in Australian soaps, his breakout role in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and his rise to fame in Hollywood with iconic roles like Memento. These days, Pearce is thriving in The Brutalist, an A24 film currently nominated for 10 Oscars, where he plays a wealthy industrialist with a dark secret.

For Pearce, this interview was more than just a career retrospective; it was a powerful reminder of how far he's come—and how important it is to speak the truth, no matter how difficult it may be.