Oscar-nominated actor Paul Mescal said he was confronted by a female fan who hit him outside the theater where he was performing.
He told ES magazine that the woman “put her hand up my ass” as he posed for a photo with her outside the Almeida Theater in north London.
The Irish actor had starred in a critically acclaimed production of Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire.
“As we were posing for it, she put her hand on my ass,” he said. “I thought it was an accident, so I like it [moved away] but the hand followed.
“I remember being pissed off and just feeling angry. 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 awkward for everyone involved – but it really wasn’t OK. It was so gross, creepy.”
Mescal, 27, went on to describe his experience of fame and said: “97% of it is really cool – then 3% is someone, like, grabbing your ass.”
It comes amid increasing reports of disorderly and abusive behavior from audiences, with the UK’s biggest theater company Ambassador Theater Group working with producers to tone down any advertising campaigns that could encourage bad behaviour.
Popular shows will be encouraged to avoid phrases such as “the best party in town” and “dancing in the aisles” after reports of rowdy and abusive behaviour.
Mescal, from Maynooth in County Kildare, has picked up several best actor nominations this awards season after starring in independent coming-of-age film Aftersun.
His breakout role came when he played Connell in the BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones.
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A Streetcar Named Desire, in which he stars opposite Patsy Ferran, moves to the West End’s Phoenix Theater from March after a successful run at the Almeida.
However, the play’s first week of performances at the Almeida in December was canceled when an injured Lydia Wilson withdrew from the role of Blanche. Its press night was also delayed, but it continued to receive positive reviews.
Mescal previously hailed Streetcar’s “wonderful cast and creative team, led by the extremely talented Rebecca Frecknall” and called it his favorite project.
Of its transfer to the West End, he added: “It’s great to be able to share it with a wider audience.”