Hugh Jackman & Daniel Craig vs. The Broadway Audience Member's Cell Phone

Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig are costarring on Broadway in 'A Steady Rain,' and during one performance last week the two had to take on an audience member's ringing cell phone.

The pair stayed in character as it rang not one time but two. TMZ has the video, seen below. Ticket sales for their play, by the way, have been huge.


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Comments

[Madbunny]

All these people with excuses and stories about accidents where a phone goes off during a performance.

Don't you guys ever just leave the damm things at home?
Don't you guys ever just turn them off? What is the point of going to see a perfomance?

We all survived for years with out instant and constant connectivity. Seriously, try living without your phones for a few hours.

[Ngiamo]

I agree. Why does our society feel it is appropriate to have their cell phone on at all times? Yes there really are times when it is inappropriate to use a cell phone, clearly this is missed by many. Would it have been that difficult to leave the phone in a car? If this individual had an emergency to deal with then perhaps they should have stayed home. I think Hugh Jackman's response was not only acceptable but necessary. Evidently this individual was embarrased or they would have answered the phone wouldn't they?

[Progressiveama]

I have forgotten to turn my phone off, but I live in Maine and really do not hear many...it isn't a pushy cranky place....I­'ve also taken awhile to be able to find it at times.....­.sorry, but sometimes I just can't find it.......I will get smeared for this, but I am not impressed that an actor gets so perturbed, I am sure actors have continued through things louder than that......­..ok, you can start flogging me........

[maigesheng]

No Flogging. But Im certain that you havent a clue what your talking about. I think the actors did a great job of not overreacting. I would hate to suffer this distraction,

[SMSam1]

A) It is ILLEGAL to film or record a union theatrical performance in any way, shape or form. Photographs are prohibited as are any recording devices. This is to protect the intellectual property of the production in addition to protecting the professional images of the actors on stage (as evidenced by TMZ who has unlawfully filmed and distributed this performanc­e.) Also, it is rude and distracting the the performers and fellow patrons.

B) It is absolutely rude to talk or have a cell phone go off during a performance. If a patron is perhaps a doctor or someone expecting an emergency call, the vibrate option is available on your phone. I have not watched this clip, but I imagine the actors were justifiably angered by this repeated distraction.

As a professional in the NY theatrical community, nothing irks me more than seeing people checking their cell phones or texting during a performance. Your phones light up, people!! We can all see you and it's distracting as can be. I apologize if you're not fully entertained, but please respect your fellow patrons who paid just as much as you did for their seats. And consider the actors on stage who are working very hard to produce a quality show. They'll do a better job if your face isn't glowing by the LED's of your phone.

[jcwtts1]

accidents happen. I mean, are you telling me you never forgot to put your phone on vibrate. Seriously? My first day of grad school, during orientation with the chair of my department someones cell phone went off. They reached for it, but it was in their bag and it took like 5 rings to get it. Their phone ringing made me realize that mine wasn't set to vibrate and i dropped my phone in my haste to turn it to vibrate... 2 minutes later, my phone vibrated. About 6 months ago I remembered to turn my knew phone to vibrate but forgot that my father, who is elderly, has an always ring check next to his number. I missed it, and it went off embarrassing me and interrupting a meeting I was in. I was mortified and haven't made the mistake again, twice in 6 years, I'm doing pretty well. Accidents happen. A local movie theater built something into the walls that shuts down all cell service as soon as you get past the ticket window. While I believe what they did is actually illegal, it is my favorite theater.

ps - I'm with you on the filming of plays etc. But it happens all the time. I think you can find pretty much everything on the internet now a days, theaters are going to have to change with the times or they are going to encounter the same problems the music industry did.

J

[tombollocks]

I don't bother with turning my ringer off, because I leave the vile thing in my car if I attend movies, plays, etc. At work when I have to attend a meeting or conference, it stays in my desk.

[devans00]

I would be humiliated if I forgot to turn off my phone and it rang in the middle of a play. That said, I'd break my fingers trying to silence the noise as soon as possible. The joker in the video let it ring for at least 10 seconds. What an obnoxious, selfish jerk.

[enigmaticmind]

Hugh Jackman= Power hungry and self absorbed. Um, you're an actor...an artist, not an authority figure of society. Some people are actually busy with day-to-day life and forget they even have their phone with them. The person could have been a doc. on call or anyone w/ a hectic life. Hugh, you're getting a little too big for your britches. Calm down!

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/28/hugh-jackman-daniel-craig_n_301595.html

[Progressiveama]

I agree!!

[maigesheng]

You agree that a doctor who was inconsiderate enough to not put his phone on silence, would not answer his phone after it continued to ring and ring and ring?? lol.

I think you are both seriously underestimating the attention that actors must spend on their characters. Weather you like his acting or not, to side with someone so selfish as to let their phone ring in a theater makes no sense whatsoever.

[jcwtts1]

That is why they invented vibrate... about 20 years ago. Seriously, accidents happen but this is not their fault, and they didn't freak they just stopped until the phone stopped ringing. Again, it isn't their fault it took 1:30 seconds to silence the phone.

[gypsy508]

I'm quite certain video taping a play is not allowed either. The Actors Equity union forbids it.

[enigmaticmind]

Hugh Jackman= Power hungry and self absorbed. Um, you're an actor...an artist, not an authority figure of society. Some people are actually busy with day-to-day life and forget they even have their phone with them. The person could have been a doc. on call or anyone w/ a hectic life. Hugh, you're getting a little too big for your britches. Calm down!

[oakley9]

No excuse....­.the person should have grabbed it and turned it off immediately, but they let it ring and ring and still did not turn it off. It rang again a few minutes later.

[ChaiKat]

Even the cheapest phone has vibrate. That option is there for a reason. If you are so busy, or are a doctor on call or something like that, you can still have your phone and not bother the rest of the world.

[robiform]

Obviously, you lead a very sheltered life and never go to movies, concerts, or the theater!! Before any movie, concert, or play starts, an announcement is made to the audience, asking the people to either turn off their cell phones, or set them to vibrate, if the phone cannot be turned off. If the person is leading such a busy life, then how does he/she have time to go to a movie, concert, or play? And in this day and age, practically everyone carries a cell phone--if a person cannot or will not follow a simple request regarding the phone, then he or she deserves whatever the consequences are!!

BTW, gypsy508, you are correct about videotaping being forbidden in any theater where the actors are being paid for their performances.

[potrerohillman]

dear egomaniacalmind: if you are too busy to turn off your phone at the theater, maybe taking a nap on the couch at home while watching your favorite tv show is what you should be doing. guess what braniac, one can put the phone on vibrate if you really must stay in touch with the world which apparently revolves around YOU.

[oakley9]

The new twelve step will be...E.A.A­. Electronics Addicts Anonymous, if it doesn't already exist.

[zoe27]

It's bad enough when this happens in a movie theater...­but during live theater sitting close enough for it to distract the actors? If it wouldn't have been even more of a break in character for Jackman and Craig, I wish they had gone all Wolverine / Bond on the cre.tin. If we were really supposed to behave as we do in our living room in these situations, someone would surely be handing me a remote on the way into documentaries so I could pause after interesting points to discuss them with my husband. Until that happens, I'll remain politely quiet during movies and plays.

[bjammin]

I'm with Jackman. Its the same reason I can't go to the movies much anymore: because folks have forgotten common courtesy.

[JAL12]

People, people, people you're not in your living room. I don't care who you are or who you THINK you are, turn the damned thing off!

[mlaiuppa]

That is just downright rude.

Where do people get off ruining an evening for the entire audience so they don't miss a call? Why do they think they are that important? If you just can't miss that call, then do everyone a favor and stay home!

What happened to courtesy? How disrespectful to the actors. How thoughtless and inconsiderate to the theatergoers.

Lucky I didn't own that theater or I'd have ushers go down and throw the offender out. No refund either.

[lee1]

why the hell did it take such a long time to turn off the dang phone?

[billyshakes]

Having been in that business for a long time and seeing where the person's seat was, I guarantee the offender was an agent or a manager. Guaranteed. God, I'm glad I got out of that biz.

[Billy02118]

What about the fact that this video was mostly an unauthorized recording of a performance that people paid good money for?

[j0hnwi11iams]

Look up fair use.

[gypsy508]

No such thing. It is forbidden to tape in the first place.

[flydoghead]

i think that it was the "house" recording

[gypsy508]

No such thing either. The actor's union forbids recording unless approved by every member. Thus, house recordings are not customarily done. I think only two minutes are allowed for promotional purposes.

[JoeCorrao]

NY crowds suck...the­y applaud themselves too much...if your cell phone ring ONCE...you should be thrown out...ONCE­!

[Balzac]

lol

[idreamwideyed]

NY crowds are also the same crowds to turn on said person for not turning off their cell phones.

[ABCD]

Boo to you! New York crowds?? That audiance was filled with NY'ers AND Tourists. Get a grip! NY'ers are the BEST! Why, We will even tell you the time now if you ask nicely and give you subway directions if you smile when you ask!

[oakley9]

In California, the audience would just sit there and take it. No reaction, Then they would probably go out and hurt somebody.