Scottish star James McAvoy is among the promising breed of actors in Hollywood today. Known for his intense performances in films like Split, Wanted, and Atonement, McAvoy is also popular for his marquee role as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men prequels. Over the years, the actor has also indulged in some grueling method acting to get into the psyche of his character.
In 2013’s crime drama Filth, James McAvoy starred as a manipulative, drug-obsessed misanthrope who begins to experience increasingly severe hallucinations as he tries to solve the murder of a Japanese student. The film required the Wanted star to dig into an unlikeable side of his persona while also physically transforming into a man whose body has been abused by his habits. McAvoy nailed all these aspects but not before his health took a serious toll.
Preparing For Filth Almost Ruined James McAvoy’s Body
In Filth, actor James McAvoy played one of the most disturbing and repulsive characters on screen in a role that required the actor to have an unhealthy and drug-ridden appearance. McAvoy, known to be an exponent of the method acting concept, faced the challenge head-on by following an unhealthy diet topped with lots of alcohol. While he succeeded in making the character authentic and realistic, putting his body through the wringer took a huge toll on the Split star. Recalling the experience, McAvoy said,
“I felt that I had to be able to portray not only his mental decline, but also they guy is falling apart physically as well. So I basically ate too much food and drank too much alcohol until my body started to cry out against it and say no”
While James McAvoy admitted that makeup also helped a bit in the physical transformation, the actor felt that he needed to physically take on the rigor to be able to completely internalize the character and do justice to it.
X-Men: Days Of Future Past Was The Toughest X-Men Film For James McAvoy
Hollywood star James McAvoy joined the popular X-Men franchise with the marquee role of Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men prequel trilogy. McAvoy who played the younger version of the role essayed by veteran Patrick Stewart, received universally praiseworthy reviews for his portrayal of the character. Speaking of his experience working in the films, the Atonement star elaborated on the reasons why he felt that X-Men: Days Of Future Past was the toughest project for him.
“I got more of an acting workout than I think I’ve had in any other movie. It was so deep and focused so much on Charles’ story. It was as much of an acting workout as any non comic book movie I’ve ever done.”
This film was also a significant one as audiences got to witness both versions of Professor X aka Charles Xavier with James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart’s characters sharing screen space in the narrative that worked across two timelines.
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