Judi Dench has defended disgraced actor Kevin Spacey at the San Sebastian film festival in Spain.
Speaking to media, Dench praised Spacey for being "a good friend" to her and an "inestimable comfort" while filming The Shipping News after her husband's death in 2001.
She went on to condemn the way he was removed from Ridley Scott's All the Money in the World last year. His scenes were entirely removed and re-shot with Christopher Plummer taking over the role.
"I can't approve, in any way, of the fact that – whatever he has done – that you then start to cut him out of the film," Dench told reporters. "Are we to do that throughout history? Are we to go back throughout history and anyone who has misbehaved in any way, or who has broken the law, or who has committed some kind of offence, are they always going to be cut out? Are we going to extrude them from our history?"
Despite claiming that she did not know "the conditions" of the allegations, Dench added that "he is, and was, a most wonderful actor."
Dench was present at the festival to receive a lifetime achievement award.
Last year, Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of making sexual advances towards him when he was just 14. A number of other victims subsequently came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct, and Spacey was dismissed from House of Cards and removed from All the Money in the World.
Speaking to media, Dench praised Spacey for being "a good friend" to her and an "inestimable comfort" while filming The Shipping News after her husband's death in 2001.
She went on to condemn the way he was removed from Ridley Scott's All the Money in the World last year. His scenes were entirely removed and re-shot with Christopher Plummer taking over the role.
"I can't approve, in any way, of the fact that – whatever he has done – that you then start to cut him out of the film," Dench told reporters. "Are we to do that throughout history? Are we to go back throughout history and anyone who has misbehaved in any way, or who has broken the law, or who has committed some kind of offence, are they always going to be cut out? Are we going to extrude them from our history?"
Despite claiming that she did not know "the conditions" of the allegations, Dench added that "he is, and was, a most wonderful actor."
Dench was present at the festival to receive a lifetime achievement award.
Last year, Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of making sexual advances towards him when he was just 14. A number of other victims subsequently came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct, and Spacey was dismissed from House of Cards and removed from All the Money in the World.
