Saoirse f lees after ‘stalker’ terror at film screening
Actress’s shock as man rushes stage
HE’S KNOWN for writing gripping stories of obsession – and now author Ian McEwan may well have fresh inspiration for his next psychological thriller after Saoirse Ronan was accosted by an agitated man at a film screening in London,
Saoirse, 24, was on stage at a Mayfair cinema last week with McEwan and a co-star for a question-and-answer session after a showing of her new film On Chesil Beach, based on the writer’s 2007 book.
Shocked Saoirse hurriedly escorted off stage
Those at the film screening were horrified when a middle-aged man, who described himself as a ‘Chuck Berry-loving country bumpkin’, asked a sexually explicit question that had nothing to do with the film.
Initially bemused, Saoirse allowed costar Billy Howle to answer, but the man then became agitated and rushed towards her from his seat just a few metres away. McEwan, 69, jumped to his feet to protect the actress.
The man came within touching distance of Saoirse – but five bouncers, believed to be a mix ofcinema security and film company minders, got to him first, man-handling him out of the building. A shocked Saoirse was hurriedly escorted off stage.
McEwan was overheard discussing the incident with friends afterwards, and he described the intruder as a ‘creep’. Some audience members took to Twitter to share news of what had happened. One wrote: ‘Didn’t expect some big grown dude to just walk on to the stage... Did he want a handshake or hug? Who knows!’ Another wrote: ‘A shame about Saoirse’s stalker.’
Saoirse, who grew up in Dublin and Carlow, rose to fame playing a teenage writer in McEwan’s 2007 film Atonement and was nominated for an Oscar this year for her role in Lady Bird.
An organiser of the event said Saoirse and the cast left the building via a side entrance after the man was seen loitering outside after being ejected. It’s understood there was no police involvement.
The organiser said: ‘Thankfully security dealt with it swiftly.’