‘It was a risk:’ Kevin Spacey’s co-star explains why actor was cast in new film before sex assault acquittal

’We wanted to base it on facts rather than to enter into cancel culture,’ Welsh actor said

Kevin Spacey was cast in a film before he was cleared of sexual assault charges in the UK – but his co-star has said it was “a risk” worth taking.

Welsh actor Lauren Metcalfe, who stars in and produces new film Control, was part of the team that hired Spacey after he was cleared of any wrongdoing in the US in 2022.

However, at the time, Spacey was still under investigation for nine sexual assault claims in the UK.

Speaking of the producing team’s decision to hire Spacey anyway, Metcalfe told the BBC: “He was cleared [in the US] at the time and we wanted to base it on facts rather than to enter into cancel culture.”

She admitted that his casting was a “risk”, but said it was one “we were all willing to take”.

“As a producer, on that side of things, we all discussed it all together at length, you know, pros and cons. I feel that everyone I met had their own opinion on what was happening and so it was a really tricky time to navigate through so much noise.”

“It’s all the questions that you would normally consider; How is it going to affect your movie? How is it going to affect you moving forward with your career – it was a risk that I think we were all willing to take.

She described the experience of working with Spacey as “incredible”, calling it “one of the highlights of my career”.

Metcalfe added: “We were really privileged that he signed on for the role.”

After the accusations first surfaced, Spacey was fired by Netflix ahead of the final seaosn of House of Cards. The show was rewritten to make his co-star, Robin Wright, the lead. He was also replace by Christopher Plummer in Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World.

Kevin Spacey (PA Wire)

Spacey denied nine charges including sexual assault, which were alleged to have been committed between 2001 and 2013. Following the verdict, he said he was “humbled”.

Addressing reporters outside court, Spacey said: “I imagine that many of you can understand that there’s a lot for me to process after what has just happened.

“But I would like to say that I’m enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts, carefully, before they reached their decision.”

Control, starring Metcalfe and Spacey, follows a politician whose car is remotely hijacked. Spacey provides the voice for the mystery hijacker.