Hannah Waddingham eloquently shut down sexist commentary at the Olivier Awards, garnering widespread praise for her assertiveness and serving as a role model against misogyny. The Game of Thrones star hosted the theater awards on Sunday (April 14) at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK, and reportedly captivated the crowd with her trademark poise and clever humor.

But before kicking off the ceremony, which recognizes excellence in professional theater in London, the 49-year-old actress elegantly posed for photographs outside the venue, gracing the red carpet (in this case the gray steps) in a semi-sheer lilac one-shoulder long gown.

Hannah’s dress turned out to be too long for one of the photographers’ taste, as a clip of the event showed them yelling out that she should “show some leg,” a comment which instantly took the entertainment performer’s smile out.

The actress was quick to react, as the clip further showed her immediately rebutting: “Oh my god, you would never say that to a man. 

“Don’t be a d**k. Otherwise, I’ll move on. 

“Don’t say ‘show me leg.’”

Hannah Waddingham shut down sexist commentary at the Olivier Awards, showcasing her assertiveness and earning widespread praise

Image credits: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

The acting talent promptly moved along and was reportedly seen sharing some tense words with an individual, possibly the person who had made the problematic comment, before turning away from the situation and sharing a hug with British singer Michael Ball, Metro reported.

A person who goes by the “Bruna but with a posh accent” handle on X (formerly known as Twitter), shared the original clip of the incident, amassing millions of views on the social media platform.

Many viewers reacted in support of Hannah, as an X user commented: “Damn rude photographer.

“I’m glad she called him out!

“And I’m glad her friend Michael Ball was there to give her a hug; I’m sure she needed it in that moment.”

Image credits: odeiotedlasso

Another person wrote: “I could not love her more!

“I absolutely LOVE that she stands her ground and will not let people treat her like cr*p.”

Someone else chimed in: “The snapper wanted her to show some leg and she politely said he wouldn’t ask a man to do that.

“Good for her. Creepy old man.”

Nevertheless, other people had a different take on the whole situation, as exemplified by this separate X user who penned: “I’m puzzled… Celebrity women dress far differently than celebrity men… men always wear pants, shirts, jackets and are completely covered.

“The women are not covered.

“I love her dress and the look of it, but isn’t it designed to naturally show her legs and figure?”

“Oh my god, you would never say that to a man,” Hannah told a photographer after he asked her to show her leg

Image credits: odeiotedlasso

An additional viewer commented: “A bit much imo (in my opinion).

“Isn’t the point of a thigh-high slit to show more leg?

“If u don’t want a comment like that don’t wear a gown with a thigh-high slit.

“I can guarantee you if gowns like hers were the typical red carpet attire for men you’d hear ‘show ur legs’. Get a grip!”

The actress has previously spoken out about the misogyny and double standards she’s faced as a woman before, telling Glamour in October 2023: “When it comes to dealing with sexism, especially in my industry, I was on the receiving end of it mostly when I was modeling back in my twenties, with some of the nonsense that misogynistic male photographers would throw at me to put me in my place.

You can watch the viral clip below:

long story short: hannah was being her gorgeous self and the 📸 made some comment about her leg we couldn’t quite make out and… well, the video speaks for itself. This woman is a role model. Always, always call pricks out on their bullshit. https://t.co/TUPwdqEYo2 pic.twitter.com/ybhxCo5FJ6

— bruna but with a posh accent (@odeiotedlasso) April 14, 2024

“I called them out straight away – and they would then try to fight their corner, but I never let it go; I always called it out – but back then, it was at a time when people didn’t back you up. 

“But I know that I’ve always given off an air of: ‘I will literally kill you if you treat me like that!'”

Hannah is known for playing businessperson Rebecca Welton in the comedy series Ted Lasso for three seasons from 2020 to 2023, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2021 and the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2021 and 2022.

She has also appeared in a number of West End shows, including Spamalot, the 2010 Regent’s Park revival of Into the Woods, and The Wizard of Oz as the Wicked Witch of the West, and has received three Olivier Award nominations for her work.

Social media users continued to praise the actress

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