By ANA SAMWAYS
Ladies at the Raetihi Cosmopolitan Club came to see the Men of Steel male revue and were treated to an impromptu strip from Hollywood A-lister Kiefer Sutherland.
In New Zealand to star in Vincent Ward's new movie The River Queen, Sutherland was drinking with cast and crew, including Temuera Morrison, last Thursday.
After a few hours and in good spirits, sources say Sutherland, the star of top-rating TV show 24, decided it was time to join in.
Twice during the first half of the show, Sutherland took of his shoes and passed into the roped-off "women only" area of the bar to join the Men of Steel.
Security stopped him, but during the second half of the show Sutherland was allowed a turn.
Requesting Stairway to Heaven for his routine, Sutherland had to make do with the song You Can Leave Your Hat On, which Tom Jones sang in The Full Monty.
He lay down to take off his socks, then took off his shirt and waved it above his head.
He was then ushered down off the stage.
Staff at the Cosmopolitan Club were reluctant to give details, but one staff member said "he was just having a good time. He enjoyed himself because he was treated like a local".
Pressed for more details, she clammed up. "We've got Brad Pitt here now if you want to talk to him."
Numerous articles in the Hollywood entertainment press detail Sutherland's love of bars and his battle with alcohol.
He is portrayed as a "wild man" who, sentenced for drink driving in 1992, has since been involved in several bar-room brawls. This year he was involved in a brawl which left him with six stitches to his face.
His visit to New Zealand featured in Star magazine, which reported that he was spotted at the Red Lion Pub in Wanganui, where he drank and played pool against a New Zealander who beat him without Sutherland sinking a ball.
The penalty for this was a "down trou", which Sutherland duly complied with.
The River Queen is the story of an Irish immigrant in New Zealand during the wars between Maori and settlers and is being filmed at the Ruatiti Domain, about 20km from Raetihi. The actors will be based in Wanganui until mid-September.
Hey Kiefer, you can leave your hat on
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