Gillian Anderson posts statement following viral stage door video

Gillian Anderson has released a statement after a video was posted online of her confronting a group of fans at stage door.

The actor is currently starring in a revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in the West End. After a performance, she was filmed interacting with audience members outside the theatre. She told one group that they were “distracting” her by repeatedly sitting in the front row.

@sohoplace, the theatre where Anderson is currently playing Martha, a frustrated wife trapped in an unhappy marriage, in Edward Albee’s classic, is famously intimate and this production is staged in-the-round.

You can hear her and co-star Billy Crudup discussing the revival below:

In the video, Anderson is heard addressing the waiting fans, who cannot be seen in the video, saying: “You guys cannot sit in the front row. I do not care; you cannot sit in the front row. It’s so distracting.”

She continues:  “You can’t come 20 times and sit in the front row, it’ll drive me mad.”

Responses can be heard with the fans saying “I’m sorry” and “I know”.

The interaction has triggered an online discourse about fandom and theatre etiquette.

Anderson responded by posting a statement on her social media.

She wrote on X: “The video doing the rounds is me talking with women I go back over 20 years with – so please don’t say anything negative to or about them.”

“We’re thrilled to be doing this show but for people in the front row, please be aware that in such an intimate venue we can all see you and sometimes, it can be a tad distracting!”

Anderson signed off with: “That’s all. All good. On with the show and love to everyone and thank you to all of those coming.”