Liam Neeson Wants Kevin Spacey Back In Movies
Even if you generally avoid Hollywood news, it’s hard to ignore that Kevin Spacey hasn’t appeared onscreen since 2017. That’s no coincidence: after he was accused of sexual misconduct, the actor has avoided appearing in any film roles whatsoever. Now, a growing number of big names, such as Liam Neeson, are calling for Kevin Spacey to return to the film industry, which transformed him into a household name.
Liam Neeson Supports Kevin Spacey
Liam Neeson’s support of Kevin Spacey may seem shocking to fans of both actors. However, it may be worth considering that despite the high-profile accusations of sexual misconduct, he has not been found guilty in a court of law. Quite the opposite, actually: in 2022, a United States court dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit against the actor, and in 2023, a British court found him not guilty of sexual assault against four men in alleged incidents that occurred between 2001 and 2013.
As for Liam Neeson, his support of Kevin Spacey’s return to acting goes beyond the legal drama surrounding the beleaguered actor. According to Neeson, “Kevin is a good man and a man of character. Personally speaking, our industry needs him and misses him greatly.”
Recent Max Documentary Revealed New Allegations
As many people might do in his position, Liam Neeson is sticking up for someone he believes to be a stand-up guy, but his public support of Kevin Spacey arguably comes at the worst possible time. The two-part Max documentary Spacey Unmasked came out earlier this month, featuring a new round of allegations from several different men. As for Spacey, he has denied all allegations made in the documentary.
Other Stars Support Spacey
Liam Neeson is not the only major Hollywood star publicly supporting Kevin Spacey. One prominent actor who has Spacey’s back is Stephen Fry, who went so far as to call out the content of the recent documentary.
According to the V For Vendetta actor, Spacey may have acted “clumsy and inappropriate” at times, but Fry questioned the wisdom of “[devoting] a whole documentary to accusations that simply do not add up to crimes” and asked “how can that be considered proportionate and justified?”
Fry went even further than Liam Neeson in his support of Kevin Spacey, pointing out that the latter actor’s reputation is already “wrecked” and that Spacey’s reputation has been destroyed by accusations based “on the strength of assertion and rhetoric rather than evidence and proof.” Summing up, Fry said he thinks Spacey “has paid the price” for what he has done based on the evidence (or, more accurately, the lack of evidence) presented so far.
Sharon Stone Has Kevin Spacey’s Back
In addition to Stephen Fry and Liam Neeson, Sharon Stone is another Hollywood icon lending vocal support to Kevin Spacey. She called the actor “a genius” who is “elegant” and “generous” and, more pertinently, that he “knows more about our craft than most of us ever will.”
More directly than the other two actors, Stone seems to be highlighting that Hollywood keeping Spacey out of future films is robbing audiences of more killer performances from the multiple Academy Award-winning actor.
An Inevitable Hollywood Return
Despite this highly public support from Liam Neeson, Stephen Fry, and Sharon Stone, it’s not entirely clear whether Kevin Spacey is destined to make a triumphant Hollywood return or not.
For better or for worse, this is an industry where reputation is everything, and having a number of high-profile supporters may not be enough to nullify the number of high-profile allegations against the veteran actor. However, other actors, such as Johnny Depp, have returned from the brink of cancellation after highly public trials, so there may yet be hope for Spacey.
