Paul Mescal recalls ‘fury’ after being groped by a fan

’It was really not OK,’ Oscar-nominated ‘Aftersun’ actor said of the ‘gross’ moment

Paul Mescal has said he was left feeling “fury” after a fan groped him while posing for a photo.

The Irish actor was approached by the person outside the Almeida Theatre in London, where he is currently performing A Streetcar Named Desire.

After agreeing to the photo, Mescal was left surprised by what happened next.

“As we posed for it, she put her hand on my ass,” the actor revealed in a new interview.

Mescal told ES Magazine. that he “thought it was an accident” and “moved away”.

However, “the hand followed”, proving to the actor that it had not been an awkward mistake.

“I remember tensing up and feeling just, like, fury,” he said.

Explaining what happened next, Mescal said he confronted the fan.

“I turned to her and said, ‘What’re you doing? Take your hand off my ass’.”

He said that highlighting the fan’s behaviour outside the theatre was “the last thing I wanted to do”, adding: “It’s uncomfortable for everyone involved.”

Paul Mescal (AFP via Getty Images)

Mescal continued: “But it was really not OK. It was so gross, creepy.”

He said that, aside from a small percentage of fans who react inappropriately when they meet him, fame is “really nice”.

Mescal was recently nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars for his role in Aftersun, which won Best Debut at the Baftas on Sunday (19 February).

He recently also opened up about his forthcoming role in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel.

The adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire will transfer from the Almeida to London’s West End in March. Find The Independent’s review here.