Posted on 04/16/2009 11:01:16 AM PDT by AreaMan
By Jane Hamilton
HOLLYWOOD star Patrick Stewart launched a foul-mouthed tirade at a fan who took a picture of him onstage.
He called the man an "a***hole" as he queued to get the actor's autograph following a stage performance.
The 68-year-old X-Men star is touring with acting legend Sir Ian McKellan in Samuel Becket's classic play Waiting For Godot.
As the fan waited outside the King's Theatre in Edinburgh afterwards, Stewart pointed his fingers and shouted: "Can you sleep at night?" His co-star Sir Ian looked shocked by the outburst which Stewart continued as he signed other autographs.
A witness said: "There were at least 40 people waiting for autographs and this guy had a big camera and was waiting with a woman at the front of the queue.
Rude
"One of the backstage people came out and said the actors wouldn't pose for pictures or sign anything other than show material in a rather pompous tone." Actor Ronald Pickup was first out followed by Stewart and then McKellan.
The witness added: "The woman the guy was with was getting her programme signed.
"Stewart suddenly looked up and said, 'Are you the a***hole who was sitting at the front tonight? You know, what I really want to know is how you can sleep at night? I really hope you're pleased with yourself'.
"The woman was horrified and clearly upset and walked off but the guy brassed it out.
"Someone said he tried to take a sneaky picture of McKellan and Stewart taking their encore at the end of the show and was caught by one of the stewards."
Another witness said: "I think they thought he was paparazzi or something because he had such a big camera but he didn't do anybody harm."
A spokeswoman for the theatre said: "It is generally regarded as rude and inconsiderate to take photographs during a live performance of this kind.
"The theatre displays signs throughout the building that photography and filming on any recording device is strictly prohibited.
"We have received a number of complaints from performers and audience. It is very disappointing that these people are willing to risk ruining the evening for everyone else."
Stewart is best known for his roles as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek:TNG and Professor Xavier in the X-Men films.
How dare someone interrupt the sacred art of pretending to be someone else.
Yeah, screw decorum. What we want, when we want it, that’s what I say.
I guess the fan wasn’t waiting for Godot.
Actually it was pretty rude and crass to interrupt the play. Mr. Stewart’s reaction was just as classless.
I like it. We bitch and moan about the death of politeness in society, we forget that one of the ways politeness used to be enforced was with the pointed finger and public shaming (and maybe even the occasional beat down). If the guy was taking pictures (probably against the rules of the establishment in the first place) in such a way that it was noticeable on stage he is an a$$#0le and a bit of public dressing down might teach him a lesson.
Still, it would have been funny if Stewart had yelled out Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-aaaaaaaan. :)
The dude was probably establishing a COA for his Ebay auction of the programme.
He took the picture at the end during the encore. I guess one really needs to concentrate awfully hard when smiling and taking a bow while people are applauding.
I think he’s right. If he thought the guy was paparazzi. If he didn’t, still it’s low class or no class to be taking flash shots of a stage performance and really disruptive for the paying audience as well.
Exactly. These guys who go from stage door to stage door getting signed photos to sell on ebay take away from the real fans.
Who is?
But whenever I hear of a situation like this I am reminded of a scene from War Games when one of the scientists (played by Dabney Coleman) insults the General in charge of NORAD (played by Barry Corbin) by calling him a "Pig eyed sack of sh*t."
The General responds, "Oh, I was hoping for something a little better than that from you, sir. A man of your education."
I was expecting something classier from Professor Xavier, but I guess a**hole will have to do.
Sounds like Ms. Hamilton has issues with Mr. Stewart.
I’m with Picard on this one.
Where’s Worf when he’s needed?
The encore is NOT performance. It is accepting accolades FOR a performance.
The shutterbug was rude, and completely in the wrong.
Good for Patrick Stewart.
People paid to see a play, not to be blinded by flash or interrupted by rustling.
Same with people who bring cell phones, pagers, iPods, etc. You can't possibly be that important if you need to bring any of those things with you to remind you have how important you are.
The idea that "I want to do something selfish, and no one else is as important as I am" needs to be stomped out. And if it takes some bald British guy to do it, good on Jean Luc.
Actors = talking props.
I’m with Stewart. Fracking cameras in theatres.
So what did Picard do wrong?
Yah, well...in one ST:TNG episode, he actually DID talk an alien to DEATH. He’s just sour that New Young Kirk is so Kick@$$!
Klingons don’t wait for Godot. They go get him.
Bravo! Applause, applause!
He is an idiot and a big lib.
So you don’t mind paying a fortune to see a play and have some moron’s flash going off? Cell phones and digital cameras have turned modern man into self-idolizing slugs.
Nothing.
It is just amusing to hear about an actor throwing a hissy-fit. This confrontation is like a fight between a rat and a snake...I wish they both could lose.
Oh my. Wrong Enterprise Captain. Back to Star Trek 101 for you.
You better not be suggesting that I am not experienced, and that my patterns indicate two dimensional thinking!
But yea I know it was Kirk who called out Khan... it is just funny watching Picard lose it too LOL.
I figured you probably knew but were just hyper dimensionally transposing their actions. Picard would be more likely to say “resistance is futile”. ;^)
These new actors are tiresome types, fantastically well paid, in the public eye, making their gargantuan incomes from the pockets of hardworking, or even if not, fans, and then have a tantrum.
At a picture! From an actor on TV! Boohoo, poor baby!
Probably true. I am starting to suspect that the same genetic gifts that make someone a great actor also subtract from the cognitive function of the brain. Much the way that the more extreme idiot savant displays massive abilities in one area at the expense of every other. Stuart is obviously a fine actor and this piece of work in the audience richly deserved a smack down. I just wish that Stuart had done it with a little more class.
I've got to say, Stewart is a real ass if the guy only took a snap of him answering another curtain call. What is the act of taking a picture really? It's the act of compliment. It means the person either admires the actor or thinks the actor has the level of stature to be worthy of taking a photo of.
Stewart just slapped a fan who cared enough to purchase a front row seat. If I were a fan of his and saw him act this way, I would have said loudly what an asshole I thought he was, and that this would be the last time I'd waste a dime going to see a prick of his magnitude.
I went to see Debbie Reynolds last year. She had a nice show in a local theater. Some friends invited us, and I'll have to admit I wasn't all that thrilled.
When we walked in, we were surprised to see that she invited folks to take pictures. I did. They turned out quite nice actually. Phylis Diller appeared in Glendale about five years ago. I took photos of her afterwords, and they also turned out great.
That's how you endear fans Mr. Stuart.
What an asshole...
BTW theaters, when people take shots without a flash, they are creating memories which are much more likely to have them come back to your theater.
Years ago the Dodgers went through a period when they wouldn't let cameras into the stadium. They thought their rights to materials would be harmed. No, these are simply fans creating a memory, one that when they review the photos, will make them want to return to the park where they had a good time before.
I’ve got to agree. The last time I saw a curtain call, I would have been horrified if someone had ruined the sublime moment for me. /s
Get a grip.
Actually, what needed to happen was for Stewart to leave the room and have Jonathan Frakes take his place for a few minutes. Whenever that happened on TNG, something got blowed up real good.
We don’t know that he shot using a flash, so he may not have done something that many people were aware of. He may have as well. If there was performing going on, I don’t support his shot. If he used a flash I don’t support it either.
I do believe the theaters are being very shortsighted if they are forbidding a shot during the final bows. And that is what I was referencing.
Thanks for the alternative opinion.
You don’t want to get too creative with that type, they might not be smart enough to know you insulted them.
I just hope he learned something, getting cussed out by Patrick Stewart should be a learning experience.
I’m sick of people thinking rules and courtesy don’t apply to them, so cheers for the good Captain.
She was on stage in the late 1890's when a flash camera went off. She broke off, visibly upset and later returned. Then followed a law suit. (Manola V Stevens & Myers). Quite a court case. The law of the "Right to Privacy" as stated by Justice Warren and Brandeis(1890). was used in the case.
Well I have to give the edge to Mr Stewart. Even though many entertainers by their arrogance and self importance, set them up for rude and pushy others, Mr Stewart is the soul of politeness usually.
He has his rights.
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