James McAvoy Discusses New Ending For ‘Speak No Evil’ And Embracing Repetition
In Blumhouse and James Watkins’ reimagining of Christian Tafdrup’s psychological horror-thriller ‘Speak No Evil’ (2022), James McAvoy takes on the role of Paddy, a doctor who lives a rustic life with his wife and son in the English countryside. McAvoy’s collaboration with Blumhouse is not new; his previous projects with the studio include M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Split’ (2016) and ‘Glass’ (2019). Both films achieved notable commercial success.
His performance in these films has kept him in conversations about genre performances deserving of award recognition, alongside other notable performances like those of Lupita Nyong’o in Us, Toni Collette in ‘Hereditary’, and Mia Goth in ‘Pearl’. “I don’t mind retreading over old territory,” McAvoy says.
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“To be honest with you, I’d say the majority of actors end up playing the same kind of person their entire career, and a lot of those actors are incredible performers, but they don’t really get to deviate from that tone or that quality that they have. If I have to play the same character a few times in a row, or many times in a row, to tell good stories that are different, then I don’t mind that at all.”
The Danish film’s bleak ending raised questions about whether Watkins would mirror this tone in his remake. McAvoy agrees with Watkins’ decision to take a more hopeful approach. “For the audience to watch me and kind of enjoy me as this objectionable character with the worst kind of chauvinistic, un-PC, mediaeval views, then the movie has to judge Paddy,” McAvoy explains. “The movie can’t validate Paddy by the end, otherwise, you’re validating those views, as well, I think. So, anyway, I think the movie had to end in a different way, but to be honest with you, I hadn’t seen the original movie until I finished it, so it was never in my mind.”
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In a recent twist, ‘Speak No Evil’ marks McAvoy’s second big-screen appearance within a six-week span. Expectations were high for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ to introduce the characters to the MCU, but it served more as a farewell to the 20th Century Fox Marvel era. The film’s closing credits featured a sentimental highlight reel showcasing McAvoy and his fellow X-Men. McAvoy was informed of this tribute ahead of time, thanks to a heads-up from Marvel’s legal team.
McAvoy has also been struck by the striking resemblance between Emma Corrin’s portrayal of Cassandra Nova in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and his own Charles Xavier character. “I thought so, too!” McAvoy says in response to THR’s observation about Corrin’s “uncanny” likeness.
“I’ve just seen the trailers that they’re in, so I didn’t know if that was just my ego, going, ‘Oh yes, we share a certain something.’ But, definitely, yeah. In fact, when I’ve seen AI versions of myself [as Charles Xavier], [Emma Corrin’s character] is what I ended up looking like.”
In ‘Speak No Evil,’ McAvoy delivers yet another remarkable performance, drawing some parallels to his work in Shyamalan’s Eastrail 177 trilogy. Paddy may not have multiple personalities like Crumb, but his character is equally unpredictable. One moment, he appears as the charming and amiable host, while the next, he reveals a darker, more menacing side. This duality adds depth to McAvoy’s performance and further cements his reputation for delivering compelling and versatile portrayals.
-Sushmita Sarkar
