MOVIE NEWS – The docu-series Spacey Unmasked reveals how the once beloved, now disgraced actor got to where he is now…
A few years after numerous sexual harassment allegations made him a Hollywood pariah, Kevin Spacey is back in the spotlight. Although he still has supporters who believe he deserves to return to the industry, a new docu-series about him that recently debuted on Channel 4 in the UK – in the US and soon in Hungary on Max, which recently launched as a sequel to HBO Max – , it can only further patch up its legacy.
The series Spacey Unmasked explores decades of abuse and ten different abuse allegations against the disgraced actor.
The series’ release has already caused a great response, especially from Spacey, who has vehemently denied the allegations. As the documentary itself makes clear, Spacey was technically exonerated in legal cases in both the US and the UK. Still, the series exhibits such a disturbing pattern throughout his decade-long career, with multiple individual storylines that overlap to such an eerie degree that it’s increasingly difficult to think of Spacey as anything other than a criminal.
Spacey Unmasked delves into the actor’s disturbing past
One of the most surprising interviewees of Spacey Unmasked is the actor’s older brother, Randall Fowler, who gives a detailed account of the childhood trauma that befell them both. Their father, Thomas Fowler, was not only physically and sexually abusive to Randall (who did everything he could to protect Kevin), but was also a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi.
Thomas was also a Holocaust denier and held frequent Nazi meetings in his home, where the flag hung proudly on the wall. According to Randy, Kevin Spacey turned to acting to vent his anger and helplessness. According to one of the interviewees, he made unwanted advances even in his last high school years.
But the documentary claims there was another factor that caused his rage to manifest as abuse – and that was the shame he felt about his gayness.
For most of his career, the tabloids widely speculated that Kevin Spacey was gay. Even though he had consistently denied this for years. He finally came out in 2017, on the same day that the first sexual assault allegation, made by Rent star Anthony Rapp, was dropped. The backlash from the LGBTQ+ community was immediate, with gay actors such as Billy Eichner and Zachary Quinto slamming him for using his coming out to deflect attention from the serious allegations and for (intentionally or not) implying a connection between homosexuality and between child abuse.
However, Spacey Unmasked suggests that much of the actor’s abusive tendencies were rooted in self-loathing for being gay. Also, that his repressed anger destructively manifested itself. One interviewee recalled an instance where he tried to distance himself from the actor by insisting that he was straight. Spacey flew into a hideous rage for suggesting he was attracted to men. Another subject detailed an encounter at a nightclub where Spacey openly mocked a gay couple.
Thanks to his enormous power, Kevin Spacey was able to escape the consequences
Obviously, the biggest factor that helped Kevin Spacey avoid the consequences for so long was his stardom. In the ’90s, he soared like a comet. He won two acting Oscars in five years and was regularly celebrated as one of the best in the business. In Spacey Unmasked, the interviewees explain that this also partly prevented them from speaking. Many of them were aspiring actors. They thought Spacey could be their mentor, and when he bullied or abused them, they blamed themselves because they were afraid he didn’t like them.
Scott, one of the subjects, elaborated: “If you don’t pay the toll – your sexual favors, you’ll have a decent career, but your name won’t be in lights.”
Not long after winning his second Academy Award for American Beauty, Spacey made a surprising career move. He moved to London, where he was appointed the new artistic director of the Old Vic Theater Company. This is where his alleged pattern of abuse continued. Danny, a former ticket taker at the theatre, recalled that when he took a seat one night, the actor wedged himself into a tight spot and pressed his groin in front of his face. And Ruari, the Company actor, detailed that he acted in one of Spacey’s performances and received an autographed poster from him on the night of the premiere, and attacked him later that evening at a party.
Things only got worse when Spacey’s career was revived in the 2010s with his starring role in House of Cards. Evelyn, one of the series’ production assistants, explained: “Kevin’s behavior was certainly well-known. It was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s the thing, that’s what happens here.'” She also noted that she and another female assistant were explicitly hired to keep Spacey close. Despite this, there were several harassment complaints during his time in the series. Among other things, from one of the interviewees, Daniel, who was originally a background statistician.
When he had a minor speaking role in one episode, Spacey secretly escorted him off the set and “tickled” him under her zipper with his finger.
The consequences of his behaviour finally caught up with Spacey when Anthony Rapp opened up about the alleged abuse, which was inspired by the nascent MeToo movement. Within weeks, at least eight different allegations about the filming of House of Cards alone came to light. Netflix quickly fired the star of their series. As more alleged victims came forward, Spacey retreated from the public eye. Only occasionally has he popped up repeatedly in YouTube videos to reprise his role as Frank Underwood (he did a video with Tucker Carlson last year). Nevertheless, in 2022, the jury overseeing Rapp’s trial found the actor not guilty on all charges. And last year, a British jury found him innocent of nine charges.
Spacey Unmasked is a powerful indictment of the once-beloved actor
All of those interviewed were openly devastated by the news of the dismissals. But most of them note that even if Spacey’s behaviour wasn’t technically illegal, it was emotionally abusive. They felt traumatized and disenfranchised. With ten different men (all but one of whom have never spoken before) claiming such similar stories and patterns of abusive behaviour, it becomes increasingly difficult not to believe them.
Spacey is technically not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the eyes of the law. In fact, it seems that he is trying to make a comeback. But his reputation is still in tatters, and based on the details of Spacey Unmasked, that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
Spacey Unmasked is available on the Max streaming service, which was launched as a sequel to HBO Max.
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