AN AUSTRALIAN actor has been fired from a musical for “inappropriate” comments he made to a female cast member on stage during rehearsal for a live performance.

Linden Furnell was cast as Johnny, the lead role in the musical American Idiot, based on the songs of US punk rock band Green Day. But Mr Furnell will be a no-show when the production opens in his hometown of Melbourne at the Comedy Theatre on Wednesday night after he was sacked for making “a crude allusion to menstruation”.

The show’s artistic director Nick Skubij today announced that Mr Furnell was “dismissed from his role in the musical (for) inappropriate behaviour.”

“Mr Furnell’s dismissal was a consequence of breaching the company’s ‘Statement of Zero Tolerance to Inappropriate Behaviour’ previously communicated to him and all other company members by company management,” Mr Skubij said in a statement.

Mr Furnell addressed the incident on his Facebook page.

“There is a scene where the characters Johnny and Whatsername have sex. Needless to say it’s a vulnerable, delicate scene and the actors need to trust each other completely,” he wrote.

“The director had responsibly monitored the scene and our individual comfort repeatedly throughout the run and any possible points of friction had been addressed and resolved in the spirit of workplace friends.

“In this climate, I know very well this kind of scene is a minefield and trod very carefully through the physical requirements of the scene. Her and I would intermittently check up on each other outside work to make sure we were comfortable with the scene and a few months into the tour, had become good friends with a great sense of trust.”

Mr Furnell said the “misdemeanour ... ironically ... occurred” after the sex scene.

“Johnny and Whatsername are dimly lit while another scene takes place in the foreground,” he wrote.

“Some off-mic character banter takes place between us in the background.

“One night I wasn’t careful and made a mistake. It was a particularly hot night in an old theatre without suitable aircon and we were both comically sweaty.

“Without thought, I made a crude allusion to menstruation among the banter. It was in poor taste and a lame attempt at humour.

“The kind of thing you say to make your friends go ‘euugghhh gross’.”

Mr Furnell alleged the joke made his co-star “very uncomfortable” and said he “apologised immediately”.

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“I ... said that I would do what was necessary to avoid making that mistake again and reassured that I definitely did not intend to cause hurt or discomfort,” he said.

“I made a poor judgment call, assumed too much comfort in a work friendship.

“I apologised again for the upset caused.”

Mr Furnell claimed that “those that know (him) well are probably accustomed to (his) impulsive mind and somewhat inactive filter”.

“The majority of the time it serves me well and makes me the inventive performer that I am,” he wrote.

“In this particular case it sabotaged me.”

megan.palin@news.com.au | @Megan_Palin