Annette Bening has responded to the sexual harassment allegations made against her American Beauty co-star Kevin Spacey, whose career and legacy has been tarnished as a result.
On Tuesday I sat down to talk to the four-time Academy Award nominee about her turn as Gloria Grahame in “Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool,” which has seen her touted as an awards season contender.
Towards the end of our conversation the topic turned to the numerous scenes of domestic abuse featured in Grahame’s films, which often saw her on the receiving end of physical attacks from her male counterparts. This invariably led to a discussion about the recent revelations in Hollywood, and how this will hopefully spark a change.
It was at this point that I brought up Kevin Spacey and the 16 sexual assault allegations made against the Academy Award winner, who picked up the second of his gongs for his work on “American Beauty” opposite Annette Bening, asking for her reaction.
“Shocked. I considered him a colleague. We had an extremely respectful, mutually respectful relationship. It is just very, very upsetting, everything that has happened in relation to him. I feel terrible about it.”
Bening’s remarks follow on from those of Allison Janney, who also starred opposite Spacey in “American Beauty,” and who admitted to me last month that she was left “devastated” by the news.
“I feel just devastated that this is Kevin’s story now. That this is what he was a part of. And that he abused his position as an actor. A lot of young kids would look up to him thinking he could do something for them. It’s a really sad, and really terrible thing to abuse your power like that. It’s incredibly disappointing.”
Annette Bening’s latest film “Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool” will be released in New York and Los Angeles on December 29.
