The reactions are coming hot and heavy following the firing of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” actor John Lacy, who was terminated from the Santa Clarita, Calif., production Saturday after physically removing a heckler who had hurled anti-gay slurs at the cast during a performance of the play.
The majority of commenters weighing in on the matter offered their support for Lacy.
“Karma means this guy is going to land a giant summer blockbuster or superhero role now, right?” Eric Vespe of Ain’t It Cool News tweeted.
“X-Men” star Shawn Ashmore agreed: “I hope so.”
“@EricVespe: Karma means this guy is going to land a giant summer blockbuster or superhero role now, right? http://t.co/bRWuX90ypJ“I hope so
— Shawn R Ashmore (@ShawnRAshmore) June 3, 2014
“I stand by John since there was no stage managers to protect the actors,” casting director Danielle Eskinazi wrote on Twitter.
Also read: Actor Fired After Tossing Anti-Gay Heckler From ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ Performance (Updated)
Another Twitter user named Leigha agreed with Eskinazi, adding, “‘No good deed goes unpunished.’ John Lacy did the right thing. He should’ve been thanked, not fired.”
“Hell on Wheels” actor Anson Mount had a particularly strong reaction to the firing, praising Lacy and his castmate, Anton Troy — who resigned from the production in protest over Lacy’s firing — and calling out the Repertory East Playhouse, where the performance took place.
John Lacy and Anton Troy r 2 b applauded. Miss Low should get her priorities straight. RT @TheWrap: Actor Fired… http://t.co/AXy2TlNzbZ
— Anson Mount (@ansonmount) June 3, 2014
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“I would have done the same damn thing. Shame on Repertory East and HUZZAH for John Lacy,” Mount wrote.
@DanielleCasting “No good deed goes unpunished”. John Lacy did the right thing. He should’ve been thanked, not fired.
— Leigha (@ms_leigha555) June 3, 2014
The actor also directed his ire at castmate Emily E. Low, who played the female lead in the production and had been less than sympathetic to Lacy’s cause.
“John Lacy and Anton Troy r 2 b applauded. Miss Low should get her priorities straight,” Mount noted.
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In the comments section of TheWrap’s coverage of Lacy’s firing, opinions were similarly passionate. Reader Tim Sullivan, who says he was at the performance and ejected the heckler and his friend from the performance, fumed, “I am APPALLED that it was up to me, an audience member, to do the job of the producers in protecting their cast. As a film director and producer, it is MY job to provide a safe environment for my actors to create their art.”
Another commenter who says he’s a longtime friend of Lacy and was at the fateful performance, weighed in, “That patron deserved to be removed by producers long, long before John DID WHAT WAS RIGHT! There is no place in OUR world for the stupid behavior exhibited by the patron. I’ll close with this, if that patron would have ‘gone postal’ — JOHN LACY would be THE GUY protecting the actresses (and actors). John, thanks for standing up for what is RIGHT in this world!”