Speak No Evil Star James McAvoy Reveals Joaquin Phoenix Left THIS M Night Shyamalan Movie Role 2 Weeks Before Filming

James McAvoy recently revealed how he joined M. Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller Split only a few weeks after Joaquin Phoenix reportedly left the film.

Published on Sep 15, 2024  |  01:43 PM IST |  46.3K
Joaquin Phoenix and James McAvoy (Image 1 via YouTube/Jimmy Kimmel Live, image 2 via The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)
Joaquin Phoenix and James McAvoy (Image 1 via YouTube/Jimmy Kimmel Live, image 2 via The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)

James McAvoy recently revealed how he joined M. Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller film Split only a few weeks before they began filming the project. McAvoy shared that after Joaquin Phoenix reportedly left the film, he stepped into the role of Kevin Wendell Crumb, a man with dissociative identity disorder, embodying 23 distinct personalities, including the menacing Beast. Read on further to know more details.


James McAvoy recently appeared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, where he talked about his latest psychological horror, Speak No Evil, and revealed how he joined his 2016 film Split at 'last minute.' McAvoy landed the role of Kevin Wendell Crumb after the Joker: Folie à Deux actor Joaquin Phoenix exited the movie weeks before the production began. 

When asked if it felt strange to take over the role from Phoenix, the Deadpool 2 actor responded, "No, definitely not. I’m confident enough to think that I will do it better anyway. I’m joking. I just like saying the wrong thing," adding, "Are you kidding? He’s an amazing actor."

ALSO READ: 'It Wasn't Great': Speak No Evil Star James McAvoy Reflects On First Meeting With Celebrity Crush Jennifer Aniston


ALSO READ: 'I was like No...' - Joaquin Phoenix Included THIS Suggestion By Lady Gaga For Musicals In Joker: Folie à Deux

McAvoy mentioned that the Nepolean actor would have given a very different performance than the one he gave but still an "incredible one." He noted that sometimes stepping in at the last minute works out well, mentioning that Phoenix had left the project about "two weeks" before filming began, saying, "It was really last minute. I had a couple of weeks [to prep]."

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The actor further explained that he had little time to prepare, acknowledging that the script was well-written, which helped him understand how he wanted to portray most of the characters. He mentioned that a couple of personalities took a little longer to find, noting, that "Patricia came real quick, Dennis came real quick. Hedwig took a little while," referring to the multiple distinct personalities he had to embody for the character.


McAvoy shared that it wasn't until the table read that he started to feel "nervous." The Dark Phoenix actor explained that as he sat there, he realized he had to perform all 15 characters while being judged by everyone in the room, including Universal Studios executives and producer Jason Blum. He added, "I haven’t even found some of the characters.’ It just came on really quick."

Meanwhile, Speak No Evil is now out in theaters. In the film, James McAvoy is playing Paddy alongside his co-star Aisling Franciosi and Mackenzie Davis. The film follows the Dalton family, Ben, Louise, and their daughter Agnes (Alix West), who bond with a couple, Paddy (McAvoy), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and their mute son, Ant (Dan Hough). During a weekend visit to their farm in the English countryside, they start to uncover a sinister mystery about their hosts.

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Education: B.A. (Hons.) Journalism. Rama is an avid follower of the entertainment industry and a

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