Christopher Plummer's Puzzling Response to Kevin Spacey Scandal: 'Very Sad What Happened to Him'

The venerable actor, who will replace Spacey in Ridley Scott drama "All the Money in the World," gave Vanity Fair his thoughts on the ongoing scandal at the premiere of "The Man Who Invented Christmas" Sunday.

"I think it's very sad what happened to him. Kevin is such a talented and a terrifically gifted actor, and it's so sad," he said. "It's such a shame. That's all I can say, because that's it."

That's it?

We're not the PC police, but we suspect the public (and Plummer's publicist) would have much preferred he expressed sympathy for alleged victims, not Spacey, as unsavory accusations pile up. Eight male "House of Cards" employees have accused Spacey of harassment or groping, while just last week a Boston news anchor said Spacey groped her teenage son.

Plummer's response, which would probably spark Twitter backlash if people weren't so busy debating Colin Kaepernick's GQ Citizen of the Year honor, comes just about a month after filmmaker Woody Allen found himself in hot water for using the same term, "sad," to describe the onslaught of allegations against Harvey Weinstein.

"The whole Harvey Weinstein thing is very sad for everybody involved," Allen said. "Tragic for the poor women that were involved, sad for Harvey that his life is so messed up. There's no winners in that. It's just very, very sad and tragic for those poor women that had to go through that."

He later clarified: "When I said I felt sad for Harvey Weinstein, I thought it was clear the meaning was because he is a sad, sick man."

Plummer spoke briefly at the premiere, and did not mention any of Spacey's alleged victims, as at least Allen had done regarding Weinstein. "The situation is very sad. I'm very saddened by what happened to Kevin, but what can I do?" Plummer said.

He went on to talk about how excited he was for the opportunity to work with Scott on the film, which he was in contention for "ages ago."

Spacey faces more than a dozen accusations of sexual misconduct, to varying degrees of severity, going back decades. A rep for Spacey says the actor is seeking unspecified treatment, and Netflix has severed all ties with him.

"All the Money in the World" was finished and set to premiere as part of AFI Fest this week, but was pulled at the last minute. As part of the re-shoots, Plummer confirmed that actors Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams have agreed to come back and film their parts again, this time interacting with Plummer.

Despite the work needed to replace Spacey with Plummer throughout the film, it is still expected to make its Dec. 22 theatrical premiere.