Oscar-nominated actor Paul Mescal said he confronted a female fan who groped him outside the theater where he was performing.
He told ES Magazine that the woman “put her hand on my ass” as he posed for a photo with her outside the Almeida theater in north London.
The Irish actor was starring in a critically acclaimed production of the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire.
“While we were posing, she put her hand on my ass,” he said. “I thought it was an accident so I enjoyed it (walked away) but her hand followed.
“I remember tensing up and feeling, like, fury. I turned to her and said, ‘What are you doing? Get your hand off my ass.’
He said “the last thing” he wanted to do was “call someone out in front of the theater – it’s uncomfortable for everyone involved – but it really wasn’t right. He was so disgusting, scary.
Mescal, 27, described her experience with fame and said: “97% is pretty good – then 3% is someone, like, grabbing your ass.”
It comes amid growing reports of rowdy and abusive behavior from audiences, with the UK’s largest theater operator, Ambassador Theater Group, working with producers to temper any advertising campaigns that might encourage misbehavior.
Popular shows will be encouraged to avoid phrases like “best party in town” and “dancing in the halls” following reports of rowdy and abusive behavior.
Mescal, from Maynooth in County Kildare, earned a string of best actor nominations this awards season after starring in the independent film Aftersun.
His breakthrough role came when he played Connell in the BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones.
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A Streetcar Named Desire, in which he stars alongside Patsy Ferran, is moving to the West End’s Phoenix Theater from March, following a successful run at Almeida.
However, the play’s first week of performances at the Almeida in December were canceled when the injured Lydia Wilson withdrew from the role of Blanche. Her press night was also postponed, but went on to receive positive reviews.
Mescal previously hailed Streetcar’s “formidable cast and creative team, led by the exceptionally talented Rebecca Frecknall” and called it his favorite play.
On his move to the West End, he added: “It’s wonderful to be able to share him with a wider audience.”