James McAvoy is no stranger to the psychological thriller genre. The actor surprised fans with his skills playing multiple characters in M. Night Shyamalan’s Split and then reprised his role as the DID-diagnosed Kevin in the sequel, Glass. The actor will be seen in the upcoming thriller Speak No Evil, where he plays a murdering doctor.
McAvoy reportedly based his character, Paddy, off of controversial Internet personality Andrew Tate. The X-Men star mentioned that Paddy had touches of toxic masculinity in him and much of his interactions were based on that ideology. However, he did mention that he was more polite than Tate.
James McAvoy Based His Speak No Evil Character On Andrew Tate
Andrew Tate has been one of the most controversial Internet personalities of the past decade. The former kickboxer has widely generated a divisive response, with many criticizing his speeches on masculinity for being misogynistic and toxic, while he has his own group of fans. He was also arrested on charges of r*pe and human trafficking (via BBC).
Apart from being a controversial influencer on the Internet, Tate also seemed to have influenced an unlikely audience. James McAvoy revealed that he based his character Paddy from the upcoming psychological thriller Speak No Evil on Andrew Tate and said that Paddy thinks of himself as a ‘West Country Andrew Tate’.
The actor spoke to Empire (via Deadline) and mentioned how he saw Paddy, the creepy doctor who is the antagonist of the film, and how Tate’s toxic masculinity ideology inspired the character. He said,
He’s like, ‘I’m going to teach you what it’s like to be a man again.’ But there’s a sort of polite face on it that isn’t quite Andrew Tate, enough of a sheen of, ‘I’m not one of those guys’. [Paddy’s] challenging you, ‘Do you have a big enough d*** to have a drink with me?’, Or, ‘I’m sorry, this is too much for you because you’re not real enough.’
Based on a Dutch film of the same name, McAvoy plays Paddy, a man who calls himself a doctor and invites another couple to his house after meeting them on a vacation. The stay then becomes a nightmare for the couple as McAvoy and his family proceed to torture them.
James McAvoy Says Speak No Evil’s Paddy Is Kinder Than Andrew Tate
It might just be the greatest insult when someone calls a deranged killer more polite than Andrew Tate. And that is what James McAvoy described his latest character Paddy in Speak No Evil. The X-Men star mentioned that he was inspired by his controversial personality and his stances in crafting Paddy’s character.
However, the actor also said that he did not play him as brash and rude as the Top G. He said,
Even though he’s all masculine and throwing his d*ck around, he’s just a bit softer. Almost a Ray Winstone in Sexy Beast vibe: ‘I don’t mind if my belly’s sticking out, because that’s how comfortable a man I f****** am.’
Andrew Tate, however, might not take this comparison lightly as he has expressed his disdain for modern superheroes multiple times. The former kickboxer had attacked McAvoy’s fellow Marvel star Tom Holland’s Spider-man multiple times, calling him a ‘dork’ and a ‘nerd’ and insulting fans of the comic book character (via YouTube).
Speak No Evil will be released in cinemas on September 13.
