X-Men and Glass actor James McAvoy recently opened up about a near death encounter he had last year.
McAvoy spoke to Men’s Journal about a routine physical he had last April. The actor, now 40, revealed the doctors found a shadow on his lung and decided to perform a biopsy. While, the shadow ended up being nothing, McAvoy’s wound following the surgery became affected and it was deadly serious.
McAvoy details the infection put him in the hospital for nearly three weeks.
“It nearly killed me. It was very scary. A terrifying f****** thing to go through.”
After surviving the deadly infection, McAvoy wasn’t afraid to make light of the situation. He detailed joking with his doctors about an abdominal muscle that went missing during the surgery. He even impersonated his British doctor’s responses, “Hmm, are you sure it was there before the surgery?”
The close encounter with death has seen McAvoy reevaluate how he spends his time. He’s looking for more balance.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not slagging off my industry. I love my job. Love it…. But there’s got to be more balance.”
As for what his idea of balance is, Men’s Journal notes it means acting in more British films, getting behind the camera and directing, and only working with directors “who possess a field marshal’s sense of what they want to achieve.” He also wants to be able to pick his kid up from school whenever possible, and not waste his or anyone else’s time.
McAvoy’s Kevin Wendell Crumb can be seen in theaters in M. Night Shymalan’s Glass. He will reprise his role as Professor Charles Xavier in the upcoming X-Men: Dark Phoenix which arrives in theaters on June 7th. He will also appear as Bill Denbrough in It: Chapter Two which is expected to arrive on September 6th.