An actor’s job is to become one with the character that they’re playing. So, if they get busted for doing something illegal because it’s what the person they’re playing in a TV show or movie would do, should they get in trouble?
Yes, it turns out.
Paul Anderson (not that one), who plays Arthur Shelby Jr. in British crime drama Peaky Blinders, was arrested last month for “possessing class A crack cocaine, as well as class B amphetamines and two class C prescription substances,” according to the Guardian. He pleaded guilty and paid a £1,345 (or roughly $1,500) fine, despite a strong legal argument from his lawyer.
“You will recognize the defendant from a very intense part that he has played in a recent television program. He is often recognized and does his best to please fans of the show by slipping into character,” the lawyer said. “He was recognized that Boxing Day and tried to play up for these people. And because of the lifestyle he leads people often give him inducements.”
It’s not Anderson’s fault, you see. The only crime he committed is loving his fans too much. That’s like finding Oscar guilty of being a grouch or penalizing Big Bird for being too… bad example.
(Via the Guardian)