The actor deflected criticism by showing every possible civility to Churchill, who became a terror to the stage. Actor Thomas Davies, in a letter to Garrick, wrote that he blundered in the part of Cymbeline owing "to my accidentally seeing Mr. Churchill in the pit, it rendering me confused and unmindful of my business".
To deflect negative feedback, the actor maintained a courteous demeanor towards Churchill, who was known for intimidating performers on stage. Actor Thomas Davies wrote to Garrick that he failed to deliver his lines in Cymbeline due to an unexpected encounter with Churchill in the audience, which threw him off his concentration.