19 FEBRUARY 2003
Kevin Spacey was joined by show biz pals Nicolas Cage and Laura Linney at the premiere of his new film The Life Of David Gale in Los Angeles. The two-time Oscar winner has once again found critical acclaim for his portrayal of a death-row inmate in the movie.

The film's central character is a former college professor who finds himself facing the death penalty for the rape and murder of a colleague. Kate Winslet is a journalist who comes to interview the condemned man, but then becomes convinced of his innocence.

She sets out to exonerate her interviewee, but soon finds her own safety in jeopardy. It is Kate's first time playing an American since Titanic, and she was delighted to have taken on a US character after a run of British roles. "I knew it would be an enormous departure for me," said the 27-year-old.

The movie is bound to fuel America's long-running debate over the rights and wrongs of the death penalty. Kevin insists, however, that he didn't set out to make an overtly political film. "I didn't go into it thinking we were going to make a big pro or con movie and I hope that even though it is an issue that people will talk about, that won't take away from what we wanted, which was to give people an entertaining film. If the politics start to percolate down and it ignites conversation, then that's great."

"The issue is so complicated and I really see both sides of it," he added. "When you do the amount of research we did and you really start to understand the statistics - how much money it costs; is it really a deterrent? - you see what really works. But I've never had a family member murdered. I have absolutely no idea how I'd react. I always love the line the film's governor has: 'I'm against killing and we'll keep killing until we prove ourselves right'."