Aidan Turner "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" New York Premiere - Held at The Ziegfeld Theatre on December 6, 2012. © Steven Bergman / *** Local Caption ***

The Irish actor has been touted as a hero after he intervened while a mugger attempted to steal a fan’s handbag.

Aidan (31) was at the Odessa International Film Festival in Ukraine talking to a young fan when a cyclist came alongside and grabbed her handbag, before speeding off.

The Dubliner, who plays a dwarf in blockbuster The Hobbit, joked “Fortunately I am not really as short as people who saw the film think I am” quickly managed to catch up with the thief.

The actor, who is actually 5’11” pulled the mugger off his bike and grabbed the handbag from him.

Unsure of what rules regarding citizen’s arrest in the foreign country, the cyclist was able to make a break for it before Aidan knew what to do.

Returning the handbag to the woman, he laughed “It’s great to be a real hero for a change, rather than just an on-screen one. I think the rescue was more like something from Indiana Jones than the Hobbit.”

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies will be released in December.

Benedict Cumberbatch, Orlando Bloom, Ian McKellan, Evangeline Lilly and Cate Blanchett also star.

Online Editors