James McAvoy on what it's REALLY like playing a villain in Speak No Evil

Virgin Radio

10 Sep 2024, 15:10

The X-Men star reveals what makes playing a 'bad guy' so fun – even when you're knackered in cold water.

James McAvoy is no stranger to playing dark, complicated characters, and his latest role in the upcoming thriller Speak No Evil has the actor diving back into the murky depths of villainy.

From his chilling turn in Split to his unsettling performance in Filth, McAvoy has a knack for making audiences squirm, and it seems he's ready to do it again.

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In Speak No Evil, McAvoy portrays Paddy, a seemingly charming but ultimately terrifying man who invites an unsuspecting American family into a nightmare weekend at his country estate.

Talking to Virgin Radio and other press, McAvoy opened up about his excitement for the role and what draws him to playing characters that audiences love to hate.

"I mean, when you're playing somebody who is nasty or is malevolent, as I guess he is. He's having a good time. He's enjoying himself," McAvoy explained.

"And this guy, even if he’s a bad guy, he's capable of happiness, which is something that you can't sayabout a lot of good people as well, you know."

It’s clear that McAvoy relishes the opportunity to blur the lines between good and evil, much like he did in Split, where he played a man with multiple personalities, one of which was the menacing Beast.

But with Speak No Evil, McAvoy is turning up the heat on the psychological tension.

His character Paddy starts off as a seemingly genial host, but things quickly take a dark turn, as McAvoy explained: "That’s the whole thing. I guess that’s one of the things that I thought I could get an opportunity to try and do, is make you enjoy watching somebody that you should not enjoy watching."

McAvoy’s ability to sucker-punch audiences is one of his most beloved traits as an actor.

"You’re presenting something that seems quite palatable and safe enough to enjoy and laugh at and laugh with, and then you kind of sucker punch the audience with something that’s so like, unbelievably unacceptable to say or do, and you kind of make the audience feel bad with the fact that they’re enjoying watching this person," he added with a grin.

"And then you do it to them again, you know? And that was part of the appeal of doing this film."

It’s a familiar move from McAvoy, who has spent much of his career bouncing between heroic roles, like Professor X in the X-Men franchise, and more sinister characters, such as the delusional detective in Filth.

His portrayal of villains is so convincing, it’s a wonder why he hasn’t been cast as a Bond baddie yet – though if Speak No Evil is anything to go by, McAvoy’s take on an apex predator might just be too terrifying for 007 himself.

The film, directed by James Watkins and produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions fame, is a remake of the 2022 Danish film of the same name.

In the film, an American couple, played by Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy, are invited to a weekend getaway by McAvoy’s Paddy and his wife, Ciara (Aisling Franciosi).

What begins as a dream holiday soon spirals into a psychological nightmare, with McAvoy’s character pushing the couple to the brink.

From pressuring a vegetarian to eat meat to his controlling parenting style, Paddy is as repugnant as they come – but that’s what makes the role so delicious for McAvoy.

In addition to the mental and emotional challenges of playing such a layered villain, McAvoy also had to face some physical obstacles – particularly when it came to filming in cold water.

"It was Baltic!" McAvoy recalled, laughing about the experience of filming a key scene in the peak of summer.

"I remember being knackered because we were just treading water for ages. And I’m not a great swimmer, but the kid who was next to me was treading water like a champ, and I’m like, ‘I’m knackered!’"

Even though McAvoy was portraying a dominant, apex predator type, he admitted that his struggle in the water made him feel less than invincible. "I meant to be playing this like alpha male, dominant predator, but I’m knackered!" McAvoy joked.

"It was an interesting day, to say the least."

Despite the physically demanding aspects of the role, it’s clear that McAvoy found immense satisfaction in once again playing a character with a darker edge.

And with Speak No Evil set to hit UK cinemas on 12 September, audiences are in for a truly spine-chilling experience.

Speak No Evil is in cinemas from 12 September.