Game director Glen Schofield shared insights into actor Kevin Spacey`s “peculiar” demeanor while on the set of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Schofield clarified that the subsequent controversies surrounding the Academy Award-winning actor do not, in his view, negatively impact the game itself.
In an interview with PC Gamer, Schofield explained his decision to cast Spacey as the villainous Jonathan Irons, even though he knew Spacey wasn`t deeply familiar with video games. Despite this, Schofield lauded Spacey`s acting talent, calling his performance in Advanced Warfare “phenomenal.”
“He truly is an outstanding actor,” Schofield noted. “However, once we called `cut,` it was evident that video games weren`t his passion. We had to arrange a dedicated trailer for him, which he would retreat to, and I`d say he was a bit more challenging.” Schofield specifically highlighted an “incredible speech” Spacey delivered about democracy within the game.
Schofield further elaborated that Spacey “occasionally acted somewhat strangely on set,” and would make comments that were “not appropriate.”
“We all felt compelled to feign laughter. There were certain instances,” Schofield revealed, choosing not to elaborate further on the specifics.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was launched in November 2014, a period when Spacey was a leading figure in Hollywood, riding the wave of success from Netflix`s House of Cards. In 2017, actor Anthony Rapp publicly accused Spacey of sexual misconduct, leading to more allegations. Spacey denied these accusations and was later acquitted of sexual assault charges, also being found not liable in the civil case brought by Rapp.
Schofield mentioned the possibility that Spacey could have returned for a potential Advanced Warfare 2, despite his character`s death. However, he expressed relief at how things ultimately unfolded. “We were planning to go that route,” Schofield admitted, “I`m glad we didn`t, because the scandal broke just about two months before we would have released the game.”
The next installment in the franchise, Black Ops 7, is slated to feature numerous celebrity appearances.