Hugo Speer has said that he believes that he was unfairly sacked from the forthcoming Disney+ reboot of The Full Monty.
The British actor, 54 – who played Guy in the original 1997 movie about unemployed steel workers who form a striptease act – was due to reprise his role in the new TV series.
However, in July 2022, Speer was dropped from the project after allegations of “inappropriate conduct”.
In a new interview with the Daily Mail, Speer has now claimed that a female runner knocked on his trailer when he was getting changed.
He said that he asked her to wait “one minute”, but she opened the door anyway and started speaking to him.
The actor claimed that he hid behind a wardrobe and didn’t understand why she didn’t leave when she realised that he was changing.
According to Speer, a few days passed and then a producer pulled him aside on set in Manchester and told him: “There have been a couple of complaints about you.”
Speer said: “I’ve never, in 31 years, had a single complaint about my conduct.”
The actor said the producer told him: “You’ve been seen undressed in your trailer.”
After being told that he had “made members of the crew feel ‘uncomfortable’”, Speer said he was left “shocked”.
Following an investigation, in which it was also reported that he had walked past the open door of his trailer while nude, Speer’s character was written out of the rest of the series and his contract was terminated.
Speer said he has not worked since. “It was tragi-comic,” he said, alluding to the show’s stripping plotline, “but they didn’t realise how badly affected I was. I went into massive, deep shock. As you can see, I’m still kind of there.”
He added: “They’ve taken my job. They’ve taken my reputation. They’ve taken my money. They’ve taken my mental health.”
Speer’s wife, scriptwriter Vivienne Harvey, told the publication there have been days she has been “scared to leave him at home alone in case he took his own life”.
Speer confirmed that he had contemplated suicide. “I just wanted to stop feeling what I was feeling. If it wasn’t for Vivienne and the girls, I would have ended it all. That was the worst thing. I didn’t want to be feeling like this, but I couldn’t stop living because of my family.”
The couple have two daughters, Nico, 10, and Elki, six.
A Disney spokesperson said in a statement to the Daily Mail: “Last year, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Hugo Speer on the set of The Full Monty. As is policy, an independent investigation was launched. Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his contract, with immediate effect.”
The Independent has contacted Disney for further comment.
Other original stars from the movie’s cast, such as Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, Paul Barber, Steve Huison, Wim Snape, Lesley Sharp and Tom Wilkinson, are reprising their roles in the series, which arrives on 14 June.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
