Washington DC [US], May 13 (ANI): Actor and musician Jena Malone has recalled an unsettling fan encounter she experienced at the age of 14 following the release of the 1998 drama 'Stepmom', according to People.

Malone, who played Anna, the daughter of Susan Sarandon's terminally ill character Jackie Harrison in the film, said the incident occurred while she was attending school in New York.

'I remember there was one bad fan experience I had on a subway, and it was right after Stepmom came out, which is another one that I feel like really people hold dear to their hearts,' Malone said, as per the outlet.

Recalling the interaction, she said, 'Some woman just looked at me across from on the subway, and she's like, 'Were you that little girl in Stepmom?' And I was like, 'Yeah.' She's like, 'I just wanted to slap you.''

The comment left Malone startled at the time.

'I wasn't the best socially adapted human, so that was an interesting one,' she said. 'And I was like, If I'm alone in public, maybe I should be like, 'No, that's not me,' just in case.'

The actor added that she would have felt 'a little bad for lying' if she had denied her identity.

Malone also shared that her 8-year-old son, Ode Mountain, whom she shares with Ethan DeLorenzo, often notices when she avoids acknowledging fan recognition in public.

'Sometimes I just don't feel like saying 'yes.' Sometimes I feel protective in front of my son, but then he'll be like, 'Did you just lie? You just lied to the mom. Go back and tell them that you were that person',' she said, according to People.

She added humorously, 'He does not like it at all. And sometimes he'll answer for me, 'Yes, she is. Would you like an autograph?' He's like, 'Here she is. Let's all line up.' It's so funny.'

Released in 1998, 'Stepmom' also starred Julia Roberts as Isabel, the woman preparing to marry Jackie's former husband. The film explored themes of family, illness and blended relationships as Jackie struggles to accept a new maternal figure in her children's lives.

Apart from acting, Malone recently returned to music with the release of her new album Flowers for Men on May 8, marking her first album release in more than a decade.

Describing the record as 'sci-fi folk,' Malone said the album explores relationship dynamics and emotional expectations.

'I was reading a lot of relational books -- lots about love, lots about all the different attachment theories, different love relational styles from polyamory to ethical non-monogamy, to relationship anarchy,' she said about the inspiration behind the album, according to People. (ANI)