Spacey jokes about park incident at theatre season launch

Описание: (22 Apr 2004) SHOTLIST

APTN, London, 22nd April
1. Old Vic theatre in London
2. Close up Old Vic sign
3. Introduction of Kevin Spacey
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Kevin Spacey:
"Good morning. Well this is very encouraging, because I think the ghosts of the Old Vic would be mighty pleased to see such a packed house of journalists who are interested in hearing what we are about to announce today, and I think as I look about you I see one or two journalists who are not from the arts pages. And I think that''s a good sign."
5. CA camera man
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Kevin Spacey:
"Now, before I begin I would like to put to rest a rumour that has been going around town the past few days that I think is entirely unfair. And that is that David Beckham offered to donate a hundred thousand pounds to the Old Vic if I would take him off the front pages for a few days. It''s not true, and just to be sure my plan after we''re done with the presentation is to text David myself, if someone will let me borrow their mobile phone because I seem to have misplaced mine."
7. Cutaway camera men
8. Wide shot audience
9. Exterior

SPACEY JOKES ABOUT HIS ''MUGGING'' DURING OLD VIC PRESSER

Kevin Spacey was today joking about his "attack" in a London park as he launched his first season of plays as artistic director of London''s Old Vic Theatre.

The Oscar-winning actor announced today (22APR04) that he will star in two productions and that Lord Of The Rings actor Sir Ian McKellen will perform the part of Widow Twankey in a new version of Aladdin.

The launch at The Old Vic - which Spacey joined as artistic director last year - came just days after the 44-year-old reported to police that he had been mugged in a park at around 4am on Saturday morning.

Today, he made light of the incident.

"Now, before I begin I would like to put to rest a rumour that has been going around town the past few days that I think is entirely unfair. And that is that David Beckham offered to donate a hundred thousand pounds to the Old Vic if I would take him off the front pages for a few days. It''s not true, and just to be sure my plan after we''re done with the presentation is to text David myself, if someone will let me borrow their mobile phone because I seem to have misplaced mine."

Spacey had made, then retracted, the complaint to police, after a weekend encounter in a London park that left him dazed and bleeding.

British tabloid newspaper The Daily Mirror reported that Spacey had been "brutally mugged" in a south London park at 4:30 a.m. (0330 GMT) Saturday.

Spacey told British Broadcasting Corp. radio that the truth was less dramatic. He said he was walking his dog when a young man approached him with "some sob story about somebody needing to call their mother and could they use my phone."

"It was such a good con, that I actually dialed the number myself and when somebody answered I then finally handed (over) my phone," said Spacey, who won Academy
Awards for his roles in ''The Usual Suspects'' and ''American Beauty.''

"And this kid took off and I was so upset I ran after him."

Spacey said he had reported the incident to police, but went back a few hours later to clarify his story.

Spacey, 44, said he "woke up after a couple of hours sleep and I thought, you know, there is a difference between assault and theft and it just wasn''t on for me to
not come clean about my own level of embarrassment and being humble at the fact that I got taken by the oldest con going."




American dream" set in 1980s America.







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