DAMAGE CONTROL

Actress Defends Hiring Spacey—‘An Incredible Experience’

Lauren Metcalfe, who produced and co-starred alongside Kevin Spacey in his new film, says it was a privilege to work with the Oscar-winning actor.

Kevin Spacey’s co-star in the film Control, due for release in December, has defended working with the actor, calling it “an incredible experience.” Lauren Metcalfe, who is also a producer on the film, told the BBC that hiring Spacey before his acquittal on sexual assault charges was worth the risk. “He was cleared [in the US] at the time and we wanted to base it [the decision to hire him] on facts rather than to enter into cancel culture. We were really privileged that he signed on for the role and then working with him has been one of the highlights of my career,” she said. “As a producer, on that side of things, we all discussed it all together at length, you know, pros and cons... 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.” In July, Spacey was cleared of multiple allegations of sexual assault.