As Johnny Depp and Amber Heard prove each other to the cross, it appears that the career misconduct that accused Kevin Spacey is slowly making a comeback. But he doesn’t make as many movies as he used to. Do filmmakers still dare to deal with actors who made (alleged) gaffes in the past?

On Thursday, Spacey’s return was announced 1242: Gateway to the WestIt is said to be his biggest project since he was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017. However, this Hungarian production is still a fraction of the Hollywood level it was a two-time Oscar winner.

Media scientist Simone Driessen closely follows these kinds of issues for her research on cancellation culture in popular culture. “If you ever get the chance to come back, it’s still hard to appreciate how people will react to it,” she explains. “I’m also curious why the director or producer would now dare to work with Spacey.”

“However, the fuss hasn’t been that bad yet,” says Driessen. “Viewers may also be curious now and are responding intelligently to it. And because previous cases have not led to serious convictions, they may now dare to take a risk sooner.”

However, Spacey is not out of the woods yet, as there is still a case against him pending in London. “You don’t lose the character of abolition culture,” says the media scientist. “People may want to forgive, but we don’t forget that easily. If more news comes out on this issue, it is possible that there will be uproar again.”

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There is currently a lot of media attention for Johnny Depp, who was involved in a lawsuit with his ex-wife, Amber Heard.

Looks like Depp is using it as a tactic

Especially the lawsuit between Depp and Heard recently caught Driessen’s attention. “For a celebrity, that’s a bit of a bit of putting your private life in the spotlight. But with Depp it’s even stronger, he even seems to be using it as a tactic. It also makes it interesting to see how we’re headed toward him in thinking.”

Heard is also not afraid to go into detail about their toxic relationship. “They’re actually playing the same game,” Driessen agrees. “You can take a look behind the scenes at two celebrities arguing. But you must not forget that you are dealing with skilled actors, who are fully aware of the image they want to project to the outside world.”

Depp appears to do this better than his ex-wife, says the researcher. I mentioned Online petition to hear Aquaman 2 Which has now been signed nearly four million times. “You’ve always had a good guy and a bad guy. Depp’s team has so far made him friendly and human, while Heard comes across as a killer.”

In this respect, the blow to Heard’s career may be greater than that of Depp, although the latter already took a huge hit when he fell out of popularity. Fantastic beastsFranchise issued. In any case, the consequences are clear. Driessen explains that this also has to do with the times we live in.

“The concept of rejecting and condemning someone has been around for quite some time of course. But since the MeToo movement, the term ‘abolishment’ has appeared more and more recently. And it has just spread. When Mel Gibson was convicted in 2006 for his anti-Semitic statements, we were still in a completely different world. Social media nowadays plays a major role in how long someone cancels and how quickly it happens.”

We won’t know until later if Will Smith’s behavior at the Oscars has consequences.

It also depends on the image of the actor

Gibson was able to capture his acting and directing career from 2010 as if nothing ever happened. Howard Braggman, Hollywood Crisis Director, dedicate This is partly due to the image of the actor already. “If Tom Hanks made such statements, we would be confused. But with Mel Gibson we are a little used to it. With him you are less sensitive to it.”

Wesley Snipes, who has served a three-year prison sentence for tax evasion, appears to have no problem with public disapproval as an actor. “The type of crime may also make a difference,” says Driessen. “In this case, there was no physical suffering. He also paid the fine during this prison sentence, so that fans can also get through it more easily.”

There are a lot of actors with a shaky image. For example, Will Smith must be on standby after overtaking at the Oscars and Alec Baldwin is under scrutiny after the infamous shooting incident on set. Hello† How quickly they recover – and whether they are fully successful in doing so – depends on a variety of factors. Not everything can be expected.

Bragman sums it up: “Some people get away with something and some don’t.” “It could be because someone is making a lot of money, or because someone is really loved. Everyone in Hollywood has a different DNA, there are no strict laws. Two people can do the exact same thing, one losing his career and the other just being Go ahead.” “could.”