James McAvoy claims he has a “crazy” party to thank for helping him snag the lead role in one of M. Night Shyamalan’s most revered films.
While speaking with Entertainment Weekly at San Diego’s Comic-Con over the weekend, the Speak No Evil star, 45, recalled the chaotic night at one of EW’s events years ago at the convention that unexpectedly set him to star in 2016’s Split.
“There was an EW party in 2017? 2015, maybe,” McAvoy said in a clip posted to TikTok on Saturday. “We were on the roof, and it got crazy, and somebody ended up getting knocked out. Not in anger, not in a fight, but one of our mates ended up getting knocked out.”
The Scottish actor said the rowdy moment apparently stood out to the acclaimed filmmaker.
“It was ’round about that moment that M. Night Shyamalan looked over at me from somewhere else in the party and went, ‘Oh, I wonder if that guy could play the guy in ‘Split’?’” McAvoy added.
Split, a horror mystery film, follows three girls (Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula) who are kidnapped by a man with 23 chilling personalities. After a turn of disturbing events, the girls try to escape before the deadly emergence of a terrifying 24th.
Watch the clip of McAvoy below.