Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey, who has come under fire this week for allegations that he made unwanted sexual advances on a minor, spoke with Charlie Rose in 2015 about his close friendship with former President Bill Clinton and his work for the Democratic Party.
Rose asked Spacey about his "bromance" with the 42nd president. Spacey, who has previously described his relationship with Clinton as a close friendship, explained why he thinks they are good friends.
"Well, we've known each other a long time. We've had a lot of different experiences over the years," Spacey said. "Both in his first and second terms, I did a great number of things for him either at the White House or for the Democratic Party, hosted a lot of events, did a lot of things privately, did a lot of things on the campaign."
Spacey said that he never doubted Clinton and was always there for him.
"And I suppose that perhaps I never waited to see which way the wind would blow in respect to him. I was always there," Spacey said. "And I was true friend. And never doubted him. Never stopped believing in him. Thought he was an extraordinary man."
"Took him as he was?" Rose interjected.
"Took him as he was," Spacey said. "And I think that may be part of the reason why we became close."
Rose asked Spacey if he was also good friends with Hillary Clinton.
"I'm not as close to her. I just haven't spent as much time with her as with him," Spacey said. "Whenever we are together, I always have a nice time with both of them."
Spacey then recalled a time when he hosted an event to honor the 10-year anniversary of the Clinton Presidential Library and the Clinton Foundation. Spacey also sent a birthday message to Bill through a video with Hillary.
Bill Clinton is not the only president who Spacey admires. In a feature with GQ magazine in 2015, Spacey praised former President Barack Obama.
"Have you googled 'Obama' and 'achievement'? You can't just look at one side of the story. He did say he wished Washington was as ruthlessly pragmatic as on "House Of Cards." It must be enormously frustrating for Obama," Spacey said.
He previously said that Obama will "go down as having passed some of the most historic bills in the history of this country" and that people do not realize the great things Obama has done.
Spacey is the latest figure in Hollywood to be accused of sexual harassment or assault following a report from BuzzFeed published Sunday. Actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of sexually harassing him when he was 14 years old in 1986. Rapp alleged that Spacey, who was 26 at the time, invited him to a party at his apartment. Rapp said when the party was over, Spacey picked him up and put him on his bed where Spacey climbed on top of him and attempted to "seduce him." Rapp said he was able to "squirm" away and had the impression that Spacey was intoxicated.
Spacey on Sunday released a statement in which he said he does not remember the incident involving Rapp but that if it did occur, he apologizes for his actions. He also came out as gay in the statement, which has triggered backlash in the gay community because some believe he used "coming out of the closet" as a distraction from the sexual harassment allegations.
Following the allegations, Netflix announced the next season of the political drama "House of Cards," in which Spacey stars as Presdident Frank Underwood, will be the hit show's last. For the 2013 White House Correspondents' Dinner, Spacey shot a welcoming video acting as his character from "House of Cards." The video includes prominent politicians from both parties.