The moment that shamed some of Hollywood's wokest male celebrities: Eddie Redmayne and Paul Mescal face ridicule online after toe-curling Saoirse Ronan moment

As 2 antheral celebrities who person made a constituent of being connected nan correct broadside of civilization wars, being silenced by actress Saoirse Ronan connected nationalist tv marked a humiliating rustle for actors Paul Mescal and Eddie Redmayne.

Mescal, 28, and Redmayne, 42, were caught up successful a toe-curling infinitesimal connected Friday arsenic they appeared connected The Graham Norton Show alongside Denzel Washington and Ronan - nan only female impermanent connected nan panel.

A emblematic speech connected Norton's sofa was successful afloat travel erstwhile an anecdote by Redmayne astir training for his upcoming miniseries The Day of nan Jackal led to a infinitesimal to hide for nan 4 antheral celebrities.

Redmayne, who starred successful The Theory of Everything, recalled really he was trained to usage a telephone to retaliate successful nan arena of an attack.

But a guffawing Mescal interjected by asking: 'Who is really going to deliberation astir that? If personification really attacked me, I'm not going to spell 'phone'.'

As an unimpressed Ronan stayed silent, Norton, 61, mimicked holding a phone to fend disconnected an attacker and joked, 'Can you clasp connected a second?' to which Redmayne laughed and replied, 'That's a very bully point.'

Having been incapable to get a connection in, Ronan, 30, waited for her infinitesimal earlier silencing nan sofa of men by reminding them: 'That's what girls person to deliberation astir each nan time.'

The eruption of laughter came to a abrupt extremity earlier Ronan turned to nan crowd and asked 'Am I right, ladies?', eliciting a immense information of applause.

The viral infinitesimal has led to Ronan being wide praised for opinionated up for women, while nan antheral celebrities person sparked a backlash.

It marks a peculiar rustle for Mescal and Redmayne who person agelong portrayed themselves arsenic correct connected celebrities. 'People creating an full ‘indie euphony loving leftist feminist woke icon’ persona for Paul Mescal and past realising he’s virtually conscionable a man is truthful funny,' 1 societal media personification quipped.

Shooting to fame alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones successful nan TV adjustment of Sally Rooney's Normal People, humble and witty Mescal quickly became 1 of Hollywood's astir celebrated actors and was portrayed by fans arsenic somewhat of a activity symbol.

He was quickly anointed arsenic 'the internet's boyfriend' pinch fans projecting an image connected to him of being nan cleanable modern feline for illustration his character, embodying a caller benignant of masculinity.

Mescal bought into this domiciled and was often asked astir consent and intelligence wellness successful interviews, which were large themes of Normal People.

When speaking astir his Normal People character, Connell, asking for consent successful nan first activity scene, he told Russh successful 2020: 'I deliberation that infinitesimal is incredibly sexy. It could person appeared really sanitised, like: look astatine this characteristic doing nan correct thing. But, of people he is doing nan correct thing.'

Mescal has besides spoken retired astir emotion objectified aft Normal People, peculiarly erstwhile he was groped by a instrumentality asking for a photograph outside London's Almeida Theatre, wherever he was starring successful an acclaimed accumulation of A Streetcar Named Desire.

'As we posed for it, she put her manus connected my ass. I thought it was an accident, truthful I for illustration (moved away) but nan manus followed,' he told ES Magazine successful February 2023.

'I retrieve tensing up and emotion just, like, fury. I turned to her and said, 'What're you doing? Take your manus disconnected my ass'.'

 He said it was 'uncomfortable for everyone involved' and he didn't want to 'call personification retired successful beforehand of nan theatre', but that 'it was truthful gross, creepy'.

Describing his acquisition of fame, Mescal added: '97% of it is really bully - past 3% is somebody, like, grabbing your ass.'

Mescal besides made headlines past twelvemonth erstwhile he played a cheery characteristic successful All of Us Strangers alongside Andrew Scott.

He defended nan decision, telling The Sunday Times:  'It depends who's successful complaint of telling nan story. The rumor is that location person been truthful galore queer performances successful cinema that person been offensive, but that's because nan filmmakers and nan actors person been careless.'

All of Us Strangers was written and directed by Andrew Haigh, a cheery man who has explored homosexual relationships successful erstwhile useful specified arsenic Weekend.

'I don't deliberation this movie exists successful that speech whatsoever. And that's it,' Mescal added.  

Like Mescal, Redmayne has besides tried to represent himself arsenic a politically correct character successful Hollywood. 

In 2021, nan character admitted that playing a transgender characteristic successful The Danish Girl (2015) was a 'mistake'.

The British prima was nominated for an Oscar for his domiciled arsenic Lile Elbe, 1 of nan first group to ever person gender reassignment surgery.

At nan time, nan movie earned rave reviews but immoderate critics based on a trans character should person been formed instead.

'No, I wouldn't return it connected now. I made that movie pinch nan champion intentions, but I deliberation it was a mistake,' he said.

'The bigger chat astir nan frustrations astir casting is because galore group don't person a chair astatine nan table,' Redmayne told The Sunday Times, external.

'There must beryllium a levelling, different we are going to transportation connected having these debates.'

The movie was released nan twelvemonth aft Redmayne won nan Oscar for Best Actor arsenic Professor Stephen Hawking successful The Theory of Everything. 

At nan time, he defended his domiciled arsenic a trans character, saying location had been 'years of cisgender occurrence connected nan backmost of trans stories'.

He was later criticised for suggesting The Danish Girl had helped bring trans issues to mainstream attention. In consequence he said it  was 'an honour to beryllium portion of this speech successful immoderate mini way' and that he was 'an state of nan trans community'.

Redmayne, who starred successful Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, is besides among a number of actors to telephone retired JK Rowling's gender-critical views.

After Rowling posted tweets taking rumor pinch nan building 'people who menstruate', Redmayne said: 'I disagree pinch Jo's comments. Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid.'

The guidance to nan Saoirse Ronan infinitesimal is thing Mescal, Redmayne, Washington and Norton will not beryllium fond of.

As societal media became awash pinch guidance to nan moment, 1 personification summarised: 'I for illustration this clip because these 2 are arguably immoderate of nan slightest toxically masculine actors, who person shown existent volition to make abstraction for female voices successful their careers, and yet they are men, truthful they will ne'er unrecorded successful a woman’s tegument and genuinely understand nan unit we unrecorded with.'

Ronan - who says she would for illustration to play a Bond villain - has been wide praised for highlighting women's information by interjecting.

Madeleine Black, a intersexual unit activist, told MailOnline: 'It's conscionable truthful normal for america to consciousness fear. How are we going to get home? Are we safe? It's a shame that has to beryllium reminded and she [Ronan] was nan only azygous female connected that panel.

'The soundlessness suggests that they [the antheral actors] didn't cognize what to do. It made them uncomfortable and I deliberation they should beryllium uncomfortable because it is nan truth for galore women.'

Ms Black, who has antecedently shared her communicative of being raped aged 13 successful her memoir Unbroken, added: 'I deliberation erstwhile men do joke astir it, it lessens nan impact. It takes distant nan seriousness of what women person to look connected a regular basis. It weakens it.

'I deliberation it's ever important to telephone it retired whenever we perceive things for illustration that for nan women listening arsenic well, because it evidently resonated because it's gone truthful viral pinch truthful galore women. It's conscionable a normality. It's portion of our normal life.

'We really do request to speak retired astir it and we request men to beryllium our friends arsenic well.'

Ronan besides garnered further plaudits connected societal media, arsenic group lauded her for speaking up successful nan situation.

'Saoirse Ronan has a very beardown beingness and isn't acrophobic to speak her mind,' said 1 user.

Another female personification said: 'I respect Saoirse Ronan truthful overmuch - erstwhile she mentions really women person to deliberation perpetually really to take sides ourselves from onslaught and everyone goes quiet and past cheers. She's truthful right!'

A 3rd called Ronan 'a queen,' saying that 'men request a reminder what it's for illustration being a female truthful they tin admit their privilege.

The personification noted that 'the soundlessness aft she said that speaks volumes,' while different said 'the soundlessness is taking maine out.'

A abstracted personification said that nan clip 'encapsulates men being ignorant of antheral privilege successful a nutshell.

'The truth that these guys - bully guys, mind - are conscionable truthful unaware is almost terrifying,' nan personification added. 'Thank goodness for Saoirse though because we each request a spot much attraction drawn to this.'

One personification said nan infinitesimal was a microcosm of really men and women communicate, saying that 'this is what it feels for illustration to person immoderate convo pinch men ever.'

Another personification said that reside deafness successful regards to nan gender rumor was evident successful nan excerpt from nan celebrated British talk show.

'The point that angered maine nan astir is that Saoirse Ronan, nan only female connected nan panel, had to almost conflict to make her constituent amongst a group of laughing men who didn't see her input aliases nan experiences of women,' nan personification said. 'Almost arsenic if that's nan full f****** problem isn't it?'

Representatives for Mescal, Redmayne and Washington person been approached for comment.