Acclaimed actor Michael Stuhlbarg found himself the victim of an assault by a deranged, rock-throwing man on a Sunday night stroll through Central Park, it was reported.
Xavier Israel, 27, faces felony assault charges for allegedly throwing a rock at the 55-year-old Stuhlbarg — best known for supporting roles on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” and movies such as “Call Me by Your Name” and “The Shape of Water” — as he walked in the vicinity of East Drive and East 90th Street at about 7:45 p.m. on March 31.
The rock struck the back of Stuhlbarg’s head, prompting the actor to pursue the perpetrator. Police arrested Israel for the attack in the vicinity of 85 East Drive, law enforcement sources said Monday.
Israel was charged with felony assault. Police sources said he has three prior arrests for robbery and assault dating back to 2022; he was ultimately convicted of attempted robbery, a class D felony.
According to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Israel was paroled from prison in December 2023.
WABC-TV reported that Stuhlbarg suffered a small bruise, but refused medical attention at the scene.
Stuhlbarg is currently starring on Broadway in “Patriots,” a play in which he plays Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, who helped catapult Vladimir Putin from a little-known mayor into the ruler of Russia in the post-Soviet Union era.
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