CaptainWaggett

I totally agree. There's always a lot of stuff on theatre messageboards about how mean Person X is because he didn't spend his break between the Saturday matinee and evening performance of a 3 hour musical in signing autographs for people whose main hobby seems to be hanging around stage doors. But why should anyone feel obliged to do that? I've seen people slagged off for simply hurrying away from the theatre after two shows when the pubs close in 20 minutes!

Does it matter if an actor is an unpleasant person? Well, it matters to those who have to work with him but to the audience? There are actors about whom I have never read a single nice thing but it doesn't affect my view of their performances one bit.

batman

One of the last professional jobs I had involved working with an actor who had a reputation for being stand-offish and rather rude. He had also fallen foul of some unpleasant media attention due to aspects of his private life. I didn't have much personal contact with him but when I did he was pleasant and really rather charming. I also observed him with other people including the public and he was never less than pleasant with everyone.

I think the public expect too much of actors et al. They are people doing a job and are entitled to a bit of time to themselves the same as everyone else.

I wish I had claws.

1stas

Kenneth Williams - apparently used to say "f... off!" to anyone that asked for an autograph - even children!

A friend of mine who was an actor for many years, but since the work completely dried up now works as an extra, was telling me about two separate occasions working on films starring Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer, and all the extras were told by the 2nd assistant director to never give eye to eye contact with Cruise or Kilmer!
Apparently, on the Kilmer film one extra did and was immediately thrown off the set! - Nepotism gone mad?

batman

That's not nepotism .... it's ego-mania!

I wish I had claws.

Edward G

Quite right, Captain Waggett.
We don't own these people!

It's great to hear of someone giving time and a smile to the public, but that same public can be insatiable as well....

I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!

wadsy

The late character actor Denis Shaw was apparently noted for his rudeness!

cully

I suppose it's always been common knowledge that Patrick Cargill (IMHO a very funny man and fine actor) was gay. Well, one day a friend of mine gave a lift to somebody beside the road who looked familiar who turned out to be him. My friend was making small talk about films etc when PC placed his hand on his knee almost causing him to crash the car.

Famous actor though he was, my pal chucked him out of the car!

Steve Crook

Oh dear, have we gone through a time-warp back to the 1950s, or before that? When people thought that if a gay man touched you that you might catch their gayness?

Or was it that the driver thought Cargill was making a pass? Even if he was, a simple "no thanks" or "not interested" would have been enough

Steve

jamesharris

I didn't know that Cargill was gay..although I'm not really that bothered about peoples off screen personas

Edward G

Come off it, Steve!
I agree with Cully's friend on this one.
I would have been equally uncomfortable here.
Now before you say "he might not have been as offended if, say, Natasha Kaplinski had misplaced her hand" the point is it was a bloke and not Natasha! Cargill had no right to assume anything sexual orientation wise. These days it would go down as sexual harrassment anyway, regardless of sexual orientation....
It was right and proper that Cargill should be ejected as surplus baggage
Good story, anyhow....

I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!

batman

Patrick was gay. He was also a charming and very witty man, as exemplified by this quote ...

"Once, whilst lunching with Ray Cooney, the theatrical impresario, Cargill observed, when a particularly handsome waiter mistakenly removed his soup spoon, "aah look Ray, the dish has run away with the spoon."

I wish I had claws.

Steve Crook

Maybe he didn't mean anything sexual by it. I know quite a few men, straight and gay, who would think nothing of putting an arm around your shoulder, or on your knee if you're sitting next to each other.

I think a reaction like that is way OTT

Steve

CaptainWaggett

Can those who agree that any man who comes into physical contact with another man really lay their hands on their hearts and swear they have never touched a woman without asking permission? Even an extremely dowdy librarian like myself comes up against a fair amount of readers who take it for granted that clutching my hands (or worse) is some sort of compliment. I would be very surprised indeed if Cully's friend would have reacted the same way to a woman's advances or has never made an unwanted advance to a woman (if the latter, then he's been very very lucky with his conquests!).

For goodness sake - it wasn't an attempted rape. Just an appropach that didn't work. Happens all the time and there really wasn't any need to take offence. Unless it realyl did happen in the 1950s!

christoph404

I think the moral of that story is don't give lifts to strange men standing by the side of the road. Surely PC could have got the bus and if it was late at night a cab? Its awfully tricky to fend off sexual advances when you have both hands on the steering wheel of a moving car! The fact that it almost caused your friend to crash is a good enough reason to eject someone from your motor regardless of the sexual overture, gay, straight or whatever! There's enough accidents on the road without some randy gay actor causing another.....honestly...

Brief Encounter

Bobby Knutt did panto where I live last year and avoided meeting anyone at the stage door.

Not related to fan contact, but Arthur Mullard was apparently not a nice man at all to his family.

Oh and Eileen Derbyshire - she doesn't sign if you write to her. I doubt she ever goes out for fear she might have to talk to someone.