Wendell Pierce treated the audience member with kindness, despite them shouting in his face (Picture: Broadway World/REX/Shutterstock)
Wendell Pierce delivered a masterclass in dealing with disruptive audience members.
The Louisiana-born actor, 59, is currently performing on Broadway in Death of a Salesman, playing central salesman Willie Loman and starring opposite British actor Sharon D Clarke as wife Linda.
During their show at the Hudson Theatre on Wednesday (December 28), one heckler in the crowed forced the play to a halt at the beginning of the second act.
Footage captured by other ticket holders show the person demanding their money back while shouting at Pierce, clearly believing the show wasn’t up to standard.
Chaos ensued as everyone stood up from their seats, while the woman actually walked to the edge of the stage to talk to Pierce face-to-face.
However, the star was quickly able to capture everyone’s attention and had a truly excellent response.
‘Hold on,’ he said loudly. ‘I’ve waited too long for this.’
‘If you would like your money back, I will guarantee your money back,’ he told the unimpressed audience member.
As she continued to shout in his face, Pierce remained calm, telling her: ‘I understand.’
‘If you want your money back, I’ll give you your money back,’ he repeated.
The actor is currently starring in Broadway’s Death of a Salesman (Picture: Broadway World/REX/Shutterstock)
Pierce’s performance has been widely praised by fans (Picture: Gary Mitchell/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
It seemed Pierce was fully willing to pay the woman out of his own pocket as he pointed to himself and emphasised: ‘I will give you your money back.’
The woman eventually put on her coat and escorted out of the theatre by security, allowing the performance to continue.
After the clip of the disruption circulated online, fans had a lot of praise for Pierce and the ‘gracious’ manner in which he dealt with the woman.
The actor managed to defuse the chaotic situation and get the show back on track (Picture: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Claiming that the audience member was drunk, one fan tweeted: ‘@WendellPierce was quite gracious throughout the ordeal which reportedly went on for 30+ minutes! For a live theatre performance, that can really take an actor out of their flow. But the show went on.’
Another hailed the star an ‘absolute legend for his performance and the way he handled this situation’, while one praised him for treating her ‘with respect and kindness.’
More: Trending
Plenty have also left glowing reviews for Pierce’s performance in Death of a Salesman, with one tweeting that they were ‘absolutely floored’ by his talents.
‘@WendellPierce you were nothing short of AMAZING in this play!’, tweeted another.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Kim Kardashian, 42, not ruling out having more kids after divorce from Kanye West
MORE : Courtney Love accuses Brad Pitt of getting her fired from Fight Club over Kurt Cobain biopic row
Follow Metro on Snapchat
You can follow our new Snapchat show Pop Cultur’d, the go-to place for all things pop culture.
Keep up with the latest Showbiz exclusives by following Metro Showbiz on Snapchat.
And football fans can indulge in all the transfer gossip and more on Metro Football on Snapchat.
The woman demanded her money back.
