Kevin Spacey photographed with a big smile in Italy where he’s filming comeback movie
Kevin Spacey is making his first film since sexual misconduct allegations derailed his career in 2017.
The 61-year-old actor was photographed Tuesday in Turin, Italy, where L'uomo Che Disegnò Dio (or The Man Who Drew God) is filming. The Italian movie, directed by and starring Franco Nero, includes a small role for Spacey as a police detective.
The House of Cards, American Beauty and Usual Suspects star was pictured with his manager, Evan Lowenstein. They visited the local landmark Mole Antonelliana and dined alfresco.
Spacey, a two-time Oscar winner, gave a big smile to photographers who interrupted his meal. Otherwise he was photographed with a face covering amid the pandemic.
Franco had no qualms bringing aboard Spacey, telling ABC News last month, "I'm very happy Kevin agreed to participate in my film. I consider him a great actor and I can't wait to start the movie," which reportedly tells the story "of a blind artist who has the extraordinary gift of making true-to-life portraits just by listening to human voices.”
Spacey's role is English-speaking while the rest of the film is in Italian. It is currently filming and is set to be released next year.
The film's producer Louis Nero told CNN, "I cast him because he is a great actor." Asked about the allegations, Louis, who is not related to Franco, said he believes that they're "false."
However, Franco wife, Oscar winner Vanessa Redgrave, will not be appearing in the film despite early reports saying she would.
"Vanessa Redgrave’s name is being included in recent stories relating to the casting of the upcoming film The Man Who Drew God," her rep said in a statement to Yahoo Entertainment. "While there have been discussions about the possibility of her joining the cast, she will not appear in the film."
In 2017, amid the #MeToo movement, Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp, 49, accused Spacey of making inappropriate sexual advances toward him when he was 14.
Spacey said he didn't remember the alleged incident and apologized for "what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior." He used the opportunity to come out publicly, saying, "I choose now to live as a gay man." However, he was widely criticized for deflecting from the allegations.
More than 20 men came forward making abuse claims about Spacey, including five who said they were teens at the time. They included Richard Dreyfuss's son Harry Dreyfuss, actor Tony Montana, actor Roberto Cavazos and Boston anchorwoman Heather Unruh's teen son. Multiple people from House of Cards made misconduct allegations, leading him to be fired from his starring role the show. London's Old Vic Theatre said it has received 20 allegations of inappropriate behavior by Spacey when he served as artistic director.
Spacey accuser Mark Ebenhoch — a military advisor for 1995's Outbreak who claimed Spacey's assistant tried to get him to "engage in a sexual act" with the actor — said it's "absurd" that Spacey is back to making movies.
Spacey, who has maintained his innocence, was charged with indecent assault in Nantucket Island, Mass. in an incident involving Unruh's son in 2016. He pleaded not guilty, and the charge was later dropped due to "unavailability of the complaining witness." He also faced a civil lawsuit related to that case but it was dismissed.
Officials in Los Angeles also reviewed two sexual assault claims against Spacey, but ultimately determined that one case did not fall under their statute of limitations. The other was dismissed when the alleged victim died.
Rapp and another man filed a civil lawsuit against Spacey, but last month a federal judge ruled that the second man — referred to only as C.D. in court documents — had to identify himself to proceed with the lawsuit.
Aside from court appearances, Spacey largely dropped out of view since the scandal, except for his annual Christmas videos.
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