Gillian Anderson clarifies her clash with fans outside a London theatre: “Please, do not sit in the front row”

Gillian Anderson, who plays the role of Martha in the West End revival of the play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” alongside Billy Crudup, has clarified a video circulating on social networks, in which she is seen in a heated discussion with fans at the stage door outside London’s Soho Place Theatre, as Far Out Magazine reports.

In the video shared on Reddit, the actress is heard speaking to fans off camera: “You can’t sit in the front row. I don’t care; you can’t sit in the front row. It is so distracting. You can’t come 20 times and sit in the front row, you’ll drive me crazy.” The show, which premiered on September 21 and will run until December 19, is attracting ardent fans — some of whom, according to Anderson, are following her repeatedly and constantly sitting in the front row.

The actress immediately turned to the X network to clarify the incident, writing: “The video circulating is me talking to women I have known for over 20 years, so please don’t say anything negative about them or around them.” She continued: “We are excited to be doing this show, but for the people in the front row, please bear in mind that in such an intimate auditorium we can see all of you and sometimes this can be somewhat distracting!” She closed the message in a friendly way: “That was it. All is well. Let the show go on, love to everyone and thank you to everyone who is coming.”

According to Far Out Magazine, Anderson has often spoken about her experience with ardent fanbases since the time of her role in the hit science-fiction series “The X-Files”. In an interview for Grazia, she explained: “There are some diehard fans who have followed me since X-Files and who will watch everything [I do]. And now this is reaching a completely new audience, as part of Gen Z’s nostalgia project, which is enjoying the classics of the ’90s.”