Stars back Kevin Spacey acting return

Sharon Stone, Stephen Fry and Liam Neeson have called for Kevin Spacey to be allowed to return to acting.

He has not appeared on screen or in the theatre since 2017, after he was accused of sexual misconduct.

The actor was found not guilty last year of all charges of sexual assault against four men between 2001 and 2013, and in 2022 a US court dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit against him.

Statements of support were made by fellow actors to The Telegraph, prompted by the release of a Channel 4 documentary.

Spacey Unmasked, which was broadcast earlier this month, featured testimony from several men.

The two-time Oscar winner denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour that featured in the documentary.

"I take full responsibility for my past behaviour and my actions.

"But I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologise to anyone who's made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about me," Spacey told Dan Wootton in an interview.

Actress Stone told the newspaper: "I can't wait to see Kevin back at work.

"He is a genius. He is so elegant and fun, generous to a fault and knows more about our craft than most of us ever will."

Writer, actor and presenter Stephen Fry also offered his support, saying the star has often been "clumsy and inappropriate", but to "devote a whole documentary to accusations that simply do not add up to crimes... how can that be considered proportionate and justified?"

Fry said Spacey's reputation was "wrecked", adding: "Surely it is wrong to continue to batter a reputation on the strength of assertion and rhetoric rather than evidence and proof? Unless I'm missing something, I think he has paid the price."

This was also reflected by Liam Neeson, with the actor writing: "Kevin is a good man and a man of character. Personally speaking, our industry needs him and misses him greatly."

Letters of support were also written by Oscar-winner F Murray Abraham and Sir Trevor Nunn, who directed Spacey in two productions at The Old Vic theatre in London.

Spacey, who won Oscars for The Usual Suspects in 1996 and in 2000 for American Beauty, was sacked whilst filming Netflix hit House of Cards as allegations emerged against him in 2017.

He said in an interview with The Telegraph that there was a "rush to judgment" against him as the MeToo movement was growing in Hollywood.

Earlier this month, Spacey won a bid to fight a civil trial over an allegation that he sexually assaulted a man.

The man claims he was assaulted in 2008 and, as a result, has "suffered psychiatric damage and financial loss".