Life imitated art for Australian actor Jesse Spencer earlier this week when he and his parents had to be rescued by the fire department from a trapped elevator.
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Spencer plays Lieutenant Matt Casey in the US television series Chicago Fire.
The Chicago-based actor was visiting the capital of Illinois, Springfield, with his parents Rodney and Robyn Spencer and, during a tour of the State Capitol building in the historic city, the lift they were travelling in stopped between floors.
"People started to freak out," Spencer told US media. "It was packed. There were, like, 30 people in there. It was getting so hot. It's claustrophobic. One poor girl had a fear of being trapped in elevators."
Compounding the tension was that the elevator had no mobile phone reception.
Spencer was wearing a Chicago Fire baseball cap, so some of people mistook him for an actual fireman.
The lift phone put Spencer in contact with the building management, who summoned a mechanic.
In the meantime, Spencer says he took charge and forced open the elevator doors to let air in.
"Once we got the doors opened it relieved the tension," he said. "I took turns getting people that were freaking out over near the door. I didn't want them sticking their heads out in case the elevator took off again."
One of the people trapped in the lift managed to get a weak mobile phone signal and called the fire department, which sent a rescue team.
Spencer said his family resumed their sightseeing but did not return to see the Capitol building. Next time, he said, "I'll probably take the stairs."
