Hollywood star Kevin Spacey has given a Crown Court jury an insight into his relationships with famous faces – including storing “the most expensive Mini Cooper” in Sir Elton John’s garage and gifting a ping pong table to Dame Judi Dench.
The Oscar-winning actor told jurors he gave Dame Judi the gift after they worked on a film together – The Shipping News – in Nova Scotia.
Other famous names heard at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday included Val Kilmer, Joan Collins and Richard Harris.
On filming with Dame Judi, Spacey told jurors: “It was a particularly difficult time for Judi.
“Her husband had just passed away.
“I made it my mission in that experience to try to make Judi laugh as much as I could.
“We developed a lovely friendship.”
The court heard that the property they stayed in while filming had a ping pong table.
Spacey said he took it upon himself to teach Dame Judi how to play and later gifted her a table of her own.
Jurors also heard how Spacey stored “the most expensive” Mini Cooper “ever” in Sir Elton’s garage.
The actor explained he bid on the vehicle at an auction in the early 2000s and the Rocket Man singer “kindly” stored it for him.
When Spacey began giving evidence, he detailed his childhood and the various schools he attended in the US.
He named one fellow pupil as Top Gun actor Val Kilmer and called him “highly skilled” at drama.
Spacey also spoke of starring in a 1986 production of Long Day’s Journey at the Haymarket Theatre in London with Some Like It Hot actor Jack Lemmon.
He told jurors it was his first visit to the city as an actor, and was even put up in an apartment by Harry Potter star Richard Harris.
“It was his son’s apartment,” Spacey said.
The jury panel was also told of an occasion where he had been asked to move his rehearsal time for Dame Joan Collins because “there was an issue with her hair”.
Spacey said she “insisted on being able to rehearse first”.
The 63-year-old denies charges including sexual assault and indecent assault, which are alleged to have been committed between 2001 and 2013.
Spacey pleaded not guilty in January to three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
The two-time Academy Award winner also previously denied four further charges of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
The trial continues.
