The Glasgow-born actor James McAvoy has said he was glad to leave his home city after a run of the stage play Cyrano de Bergerac because of the racist and sexist taunts his female co-stars suffered.
The 43-year-old said he was "absolutely shocked and dismayed" by the abuse levelled at the cast.
He said women suffered "sexually explicit and violent" taunts during their time in Glasgow and went as far as to say their experience made him regret bringing the production to Scotland.
The play, which was directed by Martin Crimp and director by Jamie Lloyd, ran for nine sold-out performances at the city's Theatre Royal.
A spokeswoman for the theatre said the "extremely upsetting" incidents had happened elsewhere in the City Centre.
In an interview with GQ magazine, the Drumchapel-born actor said: "The cast were amazing. It was brilliant.
"But I was really saddened, to be honest with you, because most of the women of colour in the cast got racially abused pretty much on a daily basis when we were there."
"I was just really saddened. I was absolutely shocked and dismayed and to use a Scottish word, scunnered.
READ MORE: Review: Cyrano de Bergerac, Theatre Royal Glasgow
"We were delighted to get to Brooklyn and leave Glasgow. It was horrible."
The actor said he had debated whether or not to tell the story because he was aware it coulud prompt an angry backlash in his home city.
He said: "The narrative that Scottish people and the Scottish media want to hear when one of us has gone away and done all right: they like you to be back at home and go, 'It's rare. It's fantastic. I'm chuffed to be here and there is no crowd like a Scottish crowd.
“But I was going on stage every night going, ‘I don’t want us to be here. I brought this cast here and I don’t want to be here.’”
Alison Thewlis, SNP MP for Glasgow Central said the incidents had damaged the city's reputation.
She said: “I’m deeply saddened and shocked by the inappropriate behaviour experienced by James McAvoy and his co-stars.
"Those who behaved inappropriately have damaged the image of Glasgow and they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.
"There must be no place for racism and misogyny in our society.”
Labour leader Anas Sarwar described the reports as "heartbreaking" while Glasgow City Council said: "We are saddened to learn of the experiences of James and his cast.
"Racism and misogyny have no place in modern Glasgow.”
Police Scotland said it was not aware if the incidents had been reported.
A spokeswoman for the Theatre Royal said: "Everyone at Theatre Royal was extremely upset by these incidents which happened elsewhere in Glasgow city centre.
"Diversity and inclusion remain a priority for us, and we offered appropriate support to the company at the time."
The X-Men star has previously revealed he gets stick during visits to Scotland for sounding English.
He said his accent reflected the fact that he has lived between London and America for the last 20 years.
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