Kevin Spacey Describes Alleged Encounter in U.K. Court

Introduction

Kevin Spacey told a U.K. court on Thursday that his alleged accuser was “charming” and “funny” when they met and that he touched him in a “romantic” way.

Spacey’s Testimony

The man was “flirtatious,” Spacey said and that the touching did not happen in an “aggressive” or “violent” way. “I’m a big flirt,” Spacey said when asked if he was flirtatious himself. “We had a very fun time together,” the actor told the court. The man said that the experience was new for him but did not want to go further. “I respected that,” Spacey said.

Evidence Collection

The accuser claims that Spacey sexually assaulted him a few times in the early 2000s. When asked by his barrister, Patrick Gibbs KC, about the events that he attended during the dates when the alleged assaults took place, Spacey said that he went through boxes of contracts and looked online to collect evidence of his whereabouts. “I happen to keep everything,” Spacey said.

Spacey’s Background

Earlier, Spacey was relaxed and smiling. After his barrister’s opening remarks, the 63-year-old actor told jurors that he had an “excessive” amount of energy when he was younger and it was recommended that he went to drama classes.

Education and Early Career

Spacey attended the Juliard School of Drama in New York, he told the court. He was asked about when he started acting and replied, “My mother would say when I came out.” His first jobs were small parts in Shakespeare In The Park shows, he said, adding that he did three years of regional theater after that.

First Film Role and Success

The court heard that his first film role was in 1985, aged 26 and his first significant role was in “Glengarry Glen Ross” (1992).

Artistic Director of Old Vic Theatre

Spacey then told the court about his stint as artistic director of London’s Old Vic Theatre and the connection he felt with its “remarkable history.” “I was crazy enough to throw my hat in the ring,” Spacey said about the role, adding that it was when he got the lead in hit Netflix drama “House of Cards” that he began spending long periods of time away from the theatre. He relinquished the role in 2015.