Michael Rapaport shares heroic story: How he stopped man from opening plane emergency door

Carly Mallenbaum | USA TODAY

Actor Michael Rapaport is being called a hero after stopping a passenger from opening an emergency exit window on a cross-country flight over the weekend.

I'm "being dubbed the white Wesley Snipes" and "the H-word," the "Atypical" star said Sunday on his podcast, where he recounted the incident.

In the latest episode of "I Am Rapaport: Stereo Podcast," he said the "scary" event happened on an American Airlines flight that left at 7 a.m. from Houston to Los Angeles. Rapaport said he was sitting in first class with a few former basketball players who were sleeping.

"The guy next to me wakes up and jerks forward in his seat and taps me," Rapaport said. He looked back and saw a man trying to open the plane's emergency exit door.

"I got up out of my seat, half sleeping, with my headphones in my ear, and I put my hand on his shoulder, like 'What the (explicit) are you doing?' He had two hands on the lever," Rapaport said. "I said it three times, loud. The second time I said it, he still had his hand on the (explicit) thing. ... I sort of pinned him against the seat. This is happening all in about 45 seconds."

1st Look EXCLUSIVE EMERGENCY EP 447 @iamrapaport is Live on the app. Talking what happened on our flight from HOU➡️LAX, ‘Long Live The Kane’ turning 30 & more



iPhone: https://t.co/E19UilDcP5



Android: https://t.co/LlU0cRNHFY



Premium 🔓 Links to App: https://t.co/GcsgaU4lW0 pic.twitter.com/Rz6iL1rJe0 — MichaelRapaport (@MichaelRapaport) June 24, 2018

Rapaport said the man "wasn't, like, resisting me, but he kept going at the door." Eventually other passengers and flight attendants helped move the man away from the door and into the bathroom. The flight landed safely.

"Everyone thanked me and everyone did say I was brave and heroic. I consider myself a common man who does uncommon things," Rapaport said. "I'm not gonna confirm or deny this, but they're talking statues."

From 2017: Actor Michael Rapaport flaunts broom before Warriors-Cavaliers Game 3