Penn Badgley was late to first meeting with Kevin Spacey

Actor Penn Badgley feared the wrath of his Margin Call co-star Kevin Spacey during their first meeting, because he had kept the Oscar winner waiting for an hour after becoming stuck in an elevator.

The Gossip Girl star reveals he got held up on the day he was supposed to meet with the cast of the 2011 financial drama and he was a bag of nerves as he rushed to the meeting.

Speaking to WENN before the Museum of the Moving Image's New York gala honoring Spacey on Wednesday (09April14), he said, "I got stuck in my girlfriend's elevator for an hour and I remember being like, 'Man...'

"It (being late) wasn't the best first impression to make, but he (didn't a give) a s**t because he's just this jovial, fun-loving guy. He's very disciplined about his craft, but he's equally joyous in his work... he's like this wise actor. He's able to charm an entire room in seconds."

Despite their rocky first meeting, Badgley credits Spacey with encouraging him to try new ventures in his career - especially theater.

He continued, "That was one thing that Kevin impressed upon me more than anything, was that I had to do theater...

"Actually doing Shakespeare (in the upcoming film adaptation of Cymbeline) was a good segue into what theater could be... It wasn't at all like theater, but at the same time I had to be prepared. It took the same discipline."