Lydia Spencer-Elliott
A Spanish judge has ordered Warner Bros to pay a Valencian businessman €25,000 in damages.
But this was small change compared to the man’s original claim for €250,000.
He sued the entertainment company for ruining his reputation with their 2016 thriller The Accountant, starring Ben Affleck.
The court case began when the film company used a photo of the man next to pictures of a mafia family.
In his claim, the main alleged his business had suffered as a direct result of being associated with the fictional crime ring.
The businessman only found out he had featured in the movie when his son told him after its release.
Yet, he said he deserved a share of the film’s profits for the use of his face.
“Bear in mind we’re dealing with a work of cinematic fiction, the claimant is not a professional actor,” said the judge.
He then went on to quote Bette Davis and prove that even paid performers often decline to play evil characters because of their reputation.
