There is so much more to Kevin Spacey than the accusations against him. I still can’t believe the same group of people who praise Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and George Clooney’s Good Night, and Good Luck are capable of being consumed by an ongoing climate of fear that has rendered them cowards. True, for many their jobs are on the line but still. Anyone who goes along with this madness, which is just about everyone, can no longer stand in judgment of those who named names or looked the other way or were complicit in the Black Lists of the 1950s. The same thing is happening now.
I bring this up because after listening to the lengthy interview with Spacey on Lex Fridman’s podcast, I am reminded yet again that he’s irreplaceable. His wisdom, talent, and career scope define much of the Hollywood that has mostly vanished.
Fridman gives a lengthy explanation at the beginning of the interview to explain why he’s chosen to interview Spacey. But then, shockingly, they go into Spacey’s work as an actor. He talks about working with David Fincher on Se7en and House of Cards. He talks about Jack Lemmon – as his mentor and collaborator. He does his brilliant impressions of Lemmon, Al Pacino, Bill Clinton, Jack Nicholson, and Christopher Walken. Eventually, about an hour in they finally get to the allegations against him.
I’ll probably never understand why we’re all so comfortable throwing people away now. Nothing that is happening in Hollywood now is healthy or good for Hollywood. It’s never going to be pure enough or “woke” enough to satisfy the unending desire for goodness. I am not even sure any of it can be fixed. But I do know that Kevin Spacey should be able to get work. Most people out there don’t really care. It’s just the tiny klatch of critics and journalists who are at the ready to start pointing fingers and making accusations.
Anyway, you might enjoy this interview. I did.
