Dame Emma Thompson has urged the management of a five-star London hotel to reinstate the senior waiter reportedly sacked after he broke protocol by asking her for a selfie.
The Oscar winner, who starred in Nanny McPhee, was dining with friends at Brown's hotel in Mayfair last Saturday night when the waiter approached her to ask for a photograph, which she declined.
She explained that she didn't want to impose on her friends, as she has previously dismissed selfies as "narcissism to its unspeakable extremes", and politely declined on behalf of her group, the Sunday Times reported.
The following day, the waiter was reportedly suspended from his role at the Rocco Forte-owned hotel until further notice and was then dismissed.
The Sunday Times reported the story and said Dame Emma was "horrified" to learn of his suspension and personally intervened, phoning the hotel's management to seek a reversal of the decision.
In a statement issued to the M.E.N on Monday, Brown's Hotel said: "Brown's Hotel cares a great deal for both its staff and guests and will not comment any further on the matter."
The hotel is described as an "iconic luxury hotel" which is the choice for "royalty, presidents and literary greats over the centuries". It first opened in 1837.
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Dame Emma has previously expressed her dislike of selfies, explaining that she "wouldn't dream" of asking someone for a photograph.
Earlier this year, she was forced to defend her decision to fly from the US to attend a climate change protest in central London.
She said if she could fly cleanly, she would, adding she doesn't fly as much as she used to and plants lots of trees.
She likened the Extinction Rebellion protest in April to the campaign of disruption caused by the Suffragettes.
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