Stars Calling Out Audiences for Bad Behavior

June 6, 2014— -- intro: Theater audiences beware. If you behave badly -- forget to turn off your cellphone before the performance or try to sneak a pic of your favorite star on stage -- you risk a scolding from none other than the stars themselves.

That's exactly what happened when a cellphone interrupted Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey midway through a powerful speech during his one man-show, "Clarence Darrow," at London's Old Vic theater.

When the guilty party failed to silence the phone quickly Wednesday, the Independent newspaper reported, Spacey -- still in character -- finally snapped, "If you don't answer that, I will.”

The 54-year-old actor's unscripted response earned him a rousing applause from the audience.

The "House of Cards" star is not the only performer to call out an audience member for bad behavior. Click through for more.

quicklist:title: Neil Patrick Harristext: Neil Patrick Harris had a tart response for an overeager fan who interrupted a performance of his new Broadway show, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," in April. When a female theatergoer shouted out, "I love you, Neil," Harris — without breaking character — responded, "I'm doing something up here, motherf*****." The audience cheered, as the quip was taken all in good fun in the highly improvisational show.media: 24030953

quicklist:title: Patti LuPonetext: Talk about a showstopper! In 2009, Broadway star Patti LuPone halted a performance of “Gypsy” for more than two minutes to lambaste an audience member for snapping photos. After having the offender removed from the premises, she thanked the rest of the audience for abiding by the rules, before transforming back into her character of Mama Rose.media: 24030905

quicklist:title: Joe Manganiellotext: When another shutterbug kept taking pictures during Joe Manganiello's performance as Stanley in the 2013 Yale Repertory Theatre production of "Streetcar Named Desire," the "True Blood" star at first took a more measured approach. According to Playbill.com, the actor tweeted during intermission, "Dear person taking pictures during our show tonight..the ushers are going to be looking for you and you will be thrown out. You are insanely distracting to all of the actors onstage and incredibly rude. If you read this, please leave and don't come back. I'm happy to take pics outside after the show... please be respectful."

When the offender did not get the message and continued snapping photos, Manganiello, still in character, addressed the person directly: "Can you stop with the camera? You have no idea how distractin' it is!"media: 24031474

quicklist:title: James McAvoytext: When Scottish actor James McAvoy saw a member of the audience recording him with a mobile phone while he was playing Macbeth in London's West End last year, he stopped the performance to shout at the man to stop, according to the Telegraph. The show resumed after the man put the camera away.media: 24031605

quicklist:title: Helen Mirrentext: It wasn't the audience but a bunch of noisy drummers outside the theater that proved a distraction while Helen Mirren was performing in "The Audience" in London's West End last year. Still dressed in character as Queen Elizabeth, the actress waited until intermission to exit the stage door and give the drummers, promoting a festival for gay and transgender people, a royal lashing.

"I'm afraid there were a few 'thespian' words used. They got a very stern royal ticking off but I have to say they were very sweet and they stopped immediately," Mirren told the Telegraph. "I felt rotten but on the other hand they were destroying our performance so something had to be done." media: 24030790