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Speak No Evil Star James McAvoy Reveals He Was Offered 'A Ton of Money' For THIS Harry Potter Role; Find Out
James McAvoy Says He Was Offered 'A Ton of Money' to Star in Harry Potter Before He Got Famous
James McAvoy recently revealed that he was offered a significant sum to appear in the Harry Potter series early in his career. The actor turned down the role, choosing instead to pursue more consistent work as a young actor.
McAvoy Discusses Missed Opportunity in Harry Potter Franchise
During an episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast on September 13, while promoting his new movie Speak No Evil, McAvoy shared that he "was nearly in" Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. When asked if he'd consider a future role as a Hogwarts teacher or in the Star Wars universe, he recounted, "The very first movie, I think it was — who is the — is it Tom Riddle in the first one, yeah?" McAvoy mentioned that he auditioned for a small role in a flashback scene and was offered a retainer deal. The offer, which amounted to around £40,000, was significant for the then up-and-coming actor.
Turning Down the Offer and Finding His Path
Despite the tempting sum, McAvoy's agent, Ruth Young, advised him against accepting the offer due to its retainer clause, which would have prevented him from working for about seven months. McAvoy explained, "They wanted to put us on retainer so that they could hold us and keep us to choose later." Instead, he chose to take on a different role in a play where he was paid £275 a week. Reflecting on this decision, McAvoy acknowledged it as a pivotal moment in his acting journey, saying, "But it was part of the making of me, and I actually got in acting work. I was actually learning and doing all that."
No Interest in Returning to the Wizarding World
When host Josh Horowitz jokingly asked if McAvoy would audition for the lead role in the upcoming HBO television adaptation of Harry Potter, the actor seemed uninterested. "I don't know if there's anything that I'm really missing in terms of what I've covered," he remarked. While McAvoy expressed a desire to do more sci-fi and comedy, he appeared content with his career choices, having brought humor to roles that weren't inherently comedic.
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