‘Speak No Evil’ Actor James McAvoy Recalled The Time Joaquin Phoenix Walked Out On M. Night Shyamalan And ‘Split’

JB Augustine |

Sep 26, 2024

Out the window — James McAvoy won't let you leave through the window in Split (2017), Blumhouse

This year, Joaquin Phoenix walked off the set of an explicit Todd Haynes film he was deeply involved with developing. With the reported nature of the film, it’s understandable why.

Russel Crowe as Maximus kills Joaquin Phoenix as Emperor Commodus in Gladiator 2000), Universal Pictures

However, the actor is notorious for his caprice, and that may have had more to do with him bowing out and halting production as he’s done it before.

James McAvoy knows this well as someone called in to replace Phoenix at the last minute back when he and M. Night Shyamalan were making Split. The former Professor X had two weeks to prep for playing 23 unique personalities.

James McAvoy as Pontius Pilate in The Book of Clarence (2023), Sony Pictures Entertainment

“Sometimes coming in last minute is the best way. I think he ditched it two weeks before they started shooting. It was really last minute. I had two weeks [to prepare],” McAvoy said on Happy Sad Confused.

“I’m sitting there like, ‘God, I’ve got to do all these 15 characters and be judged by everybody in the room, including Universal studio executives including Jason Blum, and I haven’t even found some of the characters. It just came on really quick,” he recalled.

“The script was well put together so a lot of it was pretty clear what I wanted to do straight away,” he added.

There were a couple of characters that took a little bit longer to find. [Characters] Patricia came real quick, Dennis came real quick. Hedwig took a little while. It wasn’t until the read-through for the table read which I was really nervous for,” he continued.

Oh dear — The dominant personality is not home in Split (2017), Blumhouse

On the topic of if Phoenix could have delivered a better performance, McAvoy was diplomatic. “I’m confident enough to think I’ll do it better. I’m joking!” he jested before seriously opining, “He’s an amazing actor.”

McAvoy went on to say, “I think he’d give a very different performance to the one I did, but I think he’d give an incredible performance.”

Tears of a clown — Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) takes a long hard look in the mirror in Joker (2019), Warner Bros. Pictures

Joaquin Phoenix’s demands and behavior caused issues with his directors Ridley Scott and Todd Phillips on the sets of Napoleon and both Joker movies.

NEXT: ‘Joker: Folie A Deux’ Director Todd Phillips Further Confirms Arthur Fleck Is Not The Real Joker