Kevin Spacey has graced the screens with his first-ever film after the legal brawl around allegations of sexual misconduct, and his director is standing firmly behind the actor, defending him against all odds. Filmmaker Michael Zaiko Hall is staunchly standing his ground over his decision to cast Kevin Spacey in the lead role of his thriller ‘Peter Five Eight’.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hall said that he values Spacey’s exceptional talent while stating that the decision to cast him was made with full awareness of the potential backlash. Here’s what the director said about his mindset while casting Spacey.
Michael Zaiko Hall Highlights The “Rare Talent” That Kevin Spacey Is
‘Peter Five Eight’ marks Kevin Spacey’s first leading role since being acquitted of multiple sexual misconduct charges in a London trial in 2023. While the actor has since been struggling to gain his fame back in Hollywood, Hall came to his rescue, stating what a remarkable talent he thinks Spacey is.
The director recounted how discussions among the producers led to the unanimous decision that Spacey was the best choice for the role of Peter. “Of course, this is a controversial choice, if you will. We were very cognizant about what we were embarking on by bringing this to Kevin, but we knew it would be in the interest of the film. The film would be far more compelling with Kevin as Peter,” he said.
Production of ‘Peter Five Eight‘ began in late 2021, way before the U.K. prosecution service had charged Spacey in May 2022, and he was awaiting trial. Hall therefore had to delay the release of the film until after the trial, the result of which Hall believes validated his decision.
“Kevin Spacey is a rare talent,” Hall said. “Of eight billion people on earth, how many people can do what Kevin does? I would say, generously, 100. He brings something powerful to the screen and I think this is one of the unfortunate side effects of cancel culture,” the director said, backing up his decision.
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“He’s A Really Sweet Man”: Michael Zaiko Hall Contends Kevin Spacey Is Not The Criminal He Is Counted To Be
Director Michael Zaiko Hall also opened up about his personal take on the #MeToo allegations against Kevin Spacey and his moral take on the situation. Spacey’s alleged misconduct has been widely reported, but Hall expressed his belief that the allegations were exaggerated.
He cited conversations with Spacey and his management that reassured him about Spacey’s character and integrity. “I support the #MeToo movement in cases where actual monsters are convicted,” Hall said. “But I think it’s a case-by-case basis. After giving this much thought and having many discussions with Kevin and his management, I ultimately felt that this is a man of integrity,” he said.
He also drew parallels between the case with those of more notorious figures like Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby, asserting that Spacey does not exhibit the same level of cruelty or sadism.
“I don’t think Kevin is a Harvey Weinstein. I don’t think Kevin is a Bill Cosby. I would go so far as to say I don’t even think Kevin is an Armie Hammer,” he said asserting that Spacey, on the contrary, is a sweet man. “He’s really a sweet man. This was my character assessment of him,” he said.
Hall also asserted that he is optimistic about Spacey’s future in the film industry and believes that ‘Peter Five Eight‘.
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