Tamal Kundu
The FX on Hulu (in the US) and Disney+ series ‘The Full Monty’ serves as a sequel to the 1997 original film of the same name. In the movie, a group of former steel mills employees from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, decide to create a male striptease group of their own to deal with their financial problems. In the show, “seven prime ministers” and “eight northern regeneration policies later,” things aren’t that better for most members of the group. However, Guy (Hugo Speer) is a notable exception.
Back in 1997, he joined the group not because of his dancing skills, which he lacked, but for the fact that he was remarkably well-endowed. In the 2020s, he seems to have done far better than the others and is now the CEO of Excello Commercial, which appears to be some form of insurance company. Guy vanishes about halfway into the series. If you are wondering about the reasons, we got you covered. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Full Monty: Guy’s Mysterious Exit
Guy is effectively written out from ‘The Full Monty’ series. He appears in the first four episodes before his sudden disappearance. Episode 6 indirectly addresses this. His fiancée, Yvonne, is taken hostage along with other members of the Full Monty by a man with a knife. Yvonne mentions that Guy has told her that he and his friends were in Budapest, Hungry, for his stag party.
As Dave, Gaz, Lomper, Horse, and Darren look at each other with confusion, Yvonne relates the vivid account Guy gave her of their time in Budapest. Realizing that their friend lied to the woman he is supposed to marry soon, the men tell her the truth. Yvonne is several months pregnant, and she suddenly can’t reach Guy. A part of her likely wonders whether he has abandoned her.
Hugo Speer’s Termination Following Allegations
Following an incident in May 2022, actor Hugo Speer faced allegations of “inappropriate conduct” on the set of ‘The Full Monty.’ Streaming service Disney+ conducted an investigation and subsequently fired Speer. “Recently, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Hugo Speer on the set of a commissioned production. As is policy, an investigation was launched. Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his contract, with immediate effect,” the streaming platform said in a statement.
In response, a spokesperson for the actor stated, “Hugo denies all allegations and is challenging all of them.” In 2023, in an interview with the Daily Mail, Speer continued to repute the allegations vehemently. Recalling the incident, he said that a runner, who was in her early 20s and had little on-set experience, knocked on his trailer door when he was changing. He claimed he shouted, “One minute,” but she entered anyway. They had a 30-second conversation while she was standing on the steps and he was hiding behind the wardrobe. He apparently didn’t think much of it until he was informed that there were a couple of complaints against him. Previously, a costume trainee accused him of being seen walking naked in his trailer while its door was open. Speer was sent home during the investigation, and his contract was later terminated.
Speer stated during the same interview that the experience made him suicidal. “I just wanted to stop feeling what I was feeling. If it wasn’t for Vivienne [his wife] and the girls [his children], 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.” As of mid-2023, the actor reportedly hasn’t worked since then.
Read More: Is The Full Monty Based on a True Story?
