"He Targeted Me, No Question": Guy Pearce Reflects On Kevin Spacey's On-Set Behavior, & The Moment 20 Years Later When He Realized What Was Actually Going On

L.A. Confidential's Guy Pearce opens up about Kevin Spacey's on-set behavior and the moment 20 years later when he realized what was actually going on. The 1997 neo-noir crime film follows three LAPD detectives – played by Pearce, Spacey, and Russell Crowe – as they investigate a series of murders and departmental corruption during the 1950s. LA Confidential was a big hit back in 1997, grossing $126 million on a $35 million budget and going to receive nine Academy Awards nominations, winning two for Best Supporting Actress (Kim Basinger) and Best Adapted Screenplay.

During a recent appearance onThe Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Pearce opened up about Spacey's behavior on the set of L.A. Confidential. Currently nominated for an Academy Award for The Brutalist, Pearce initially dismissed Spacey's alleged advances on the L.A. Confidential set, though he later felt "scared" of and "targeted" by him. While filming in Los Angeles, Pearce remembered confiding in his then-wife, saying he only felt safe on set with Spacey when another actor, Simon Baker, was there.

Years later, Pearce came across the headlines about Spacey and realized what was actually going on. The actor said he "broke down" and started sobbing uncontrollably when he heard the reports, and as he talked about it on the podcast, Pearce's voice cracked with emotion. Though he did not specify the timeline or details, Pearce revealed he "had a couple of confrontations with Kevin" that "got ugly." However, Pearce hesitates to call himself a victim. Read his full comments below:

Even though I probably was a victim to a degree; I was certainly not a victim by any means to the extent that other people have been to sexual predators... "Ah, that’s nothing. Ah, no, that’s nothing," 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 only days I feel safe are the days when [Simon Baker] is on set because I’m dumped like a hot potato, and [Kevin] focuses on [Simon] because he was ten times prettier than I am... I was in London working on something, and I heard [the reports] and I broke down and sobbed, and I couldn’t stop. I think it really dawned on me the impact that had occurred and how I sort of brushed it off and how I had either shelved it or blocked it out or whatever. That was a really incredible wake up call.

UPDATE: 2025/02/18 15:53 EST BY ADAM BENTZ

Kevin Spacey Responds To Guy Pearce

On X, Kevin Spacey shared a video responding to Guy Pearce's comments:

The original article continues as follows...

What Guy Pearce's Comments Mean

He's Opening Up About Kevin Spacey's Behavior On LA Confidential

Pearce previously mentioned the incident in 2018, referring to Spacey as "a handsy guy" during an interview with Australian talk show host Andrew Denton. However, he quickly clarified his remarks and acknowledged the seriousness of the issue in a follow-up statement, saying, "I very much understand that it's too sensitive a topic to be brushed off. Although I wasn’t sexually assaulted or molested, I was made to feel uncomfortable. I addressed and handled the situation when it took place, hence my regret at making it public now."

Guy Pearce as Van Buren in The Brutalist

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Reflecting on his previous public comments, Pearce found himself in the "weird position" of not wanting to dwell on his personal experience with Spacey, yet he also doesn't "want him to get away with what he gets away with." Spacey was found not liable in the case of actor Anthony Rapp who accused him of making sexual advances toward him at a New York party in 1986 when he was 14. Spacey was also acquitted of nine sexual assault charges by a British jury in 2023.

Our Take On Guy Pearce's Comments

There's Always A Power Imbalance

Whether it's on film sets or the Old Vic Theatre, where Spacey served as artistic director, all the accusations made against the actor have involved some sort of power imbalance. In the case of L.A. Confidential, Pearce was a relatively unknown actor in the United States, though Spacey was much more established after his Oscar-nominated turn in 1996's The Usual Suspects. Pearce's comments are just the latest accusations regarding Spacey's behavior, and since the actor has yet to be found guilty in a court of law, all anyone can do is speak up honestly about their experiences and continue to shape the court of public opinion.

Source: THR, Kevin Spacey/X