James McAvoy Recounts Bullying Incident on 'Band of Brothers' Set
The actor described being targeted by a co-star and others on his first day filming the acclaimed HBO miniseries.
Actor James McAvoy has shared an account of experiencing bullying on the set of the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers," detailing the incident during a recent appearance on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen."
McAvoy described his first day on set as particularly challenging. As a recent acting school graduate, he found himself in a scene with many cast members who had been involved with the production for a longer duration. He noted that while he had a significant role with numerous lines, many other actors had only minor parts. "All these guys were in it for nine months, 10 months, and they get one line in one episode, and one line 10 episodes later," McAvoy explained. "They were all pissed. I come in for one episode, and I’ve got an arc and scenes. I’ve got tons of lines."
When shown a photo of the "Band of Brothers" cast, McAvoy identified the actor he said initiated the bullying. "So, one of the guys in that picture decided to bully me on my first day as a professional actor out of acting school," he stated. "He got him and his buddies to just stand pointing at me and laugh at me for like three minutes."
While McAvoy did not name the individuals involved, the photograph featured actors including Donnie Wahlberg, Kirk Acevedo, Scott Grimes, Neal McDonough, Adam James, Frank John Hughes, Philip Barantini, and Ross McCall.
However, McAvoy also noted that not all of his castmates were complicit in the negative experience. He mentioned that actors Dexter Fletcher and Robin Laing offered him support, inviting him to spend time with them. "Dexter Fletcher and Robin Laing took me aside, and they were like, ‘Come hang with us, man,’" McAvoy recalled.
Despite this negative experience on his first day, McAvoy generally rated his overall time on "Band of Brothers" highly, describing it as a "nine out of 10," though he characterized that specific day as a "two."
"Band of Brothers," released in 2001, is a 10-part miniseries that chronicles the experiences of Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, during World War II. The series' narratives were based on historical accounts, including interviews with real Easy Company survivors and their personal writings.
Following his role in "Band of Brothers," McAvoy gained wider recognition for his performances in films such as "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," "Wanted," and the "X-Men" franchise, where he portrayed a young Charles Xavier.