Why James McAvoy Is the Master of Sinister Roles | Speak No Evil (2024) | Celebrity Biographies
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00Why is James McAvoy so great at playing bad?
00:04In Speak No Evil, the Scottish actor, now 45, steps into yet another chilling role as
00:09a domineering husband and father with sinister secrets.
00:12It's just the latest in his growing list of memorable performances in the horror genre
00:16following his spine-tingling roles in M, Night Shyamalan's Split and Glass, as well as
00:22at Chapter 2, based on the Stephen King classic.
00:27One of the joys of playing a part like this McAvoy shared with people is putting the audience
00:32in an uncomfortable position where they know you're going to do some bad stuff.
00:37And it's true fans watching the trailer know from the start that something unsettling is
00:41coming.
00:42After all, they've bought their ticket expecting to be scared.
00:45But McAvoy, along with writer-director James Watkins, adds more layers to the experience.
00:51You make them laugh a bit, or then you make them enjoy you a bit McAvoy explains, you're
00:56playing with the audience's moral center and they're enjoying you doing that to them.
01:01In this Blumhouse Productions remake of the 2022 Danish film, McAvoy stars opposite Mackenzie
01:08Davis and Scoot McNary as an American couple whose visit to an Italian countryside home
01:13takes a terrifying turn.
01:16What starts as awkward social interactions quickly becomes dangerous, with McAvoy's character
01:21Paddy, his wife played by Eileen Franciosi, and their mute son Dan Hough hiding some dark
01:26secrets.
01:28The horror in this film isn't just the scary or violent stuff, it's the squirmy moments
01:33McAvoy grins.
01:35Like many Blumhouse films, Speak No Evil delivers on its promise of entertainment while also
01:39weaving it in sharp social commentary.
01:43As Paddy tests the boundaries of acceptable behavior, McAvoy points out that Davis and
01:48McNary's characters are trapped in a more subtle, psychological horror.
01:52Trying not to be judgmental, trying to be politically correct, makes us forgive a lot
01:57in this world McAvoy observes.
02:00When asked how his family feels about him portraying such wicked characters, McAvoy
02:05reassures that film work and TV work never comes home with me though he does admit that
02:10during his 2013 run as Macbeth on London's West End, he wasn't exactly a joy to live
02:15with.
02:17To unwind, McAvoy relies on his wife Lisa Liberati and their two kids, finding balance
02:22with simple pleasures swimming with the family, making a Sunday roast from scratch, and hanging
02:26out with friends.
02:28Just some chill time he adds.
02:31Speak No Evil is in theaters now, so don't miss McAvoy's latest chilling performance.
02:37If you enjoyed this video, don't forget to hit that like button.
02:41For more great content like this, be sure to hit subscribe and turn on notifications.
02:46And hey, if you found this video interesting, share it with your friends and family sharing
02:50is caring.