James McAvoy Recounts Being Bullied by Co-Star on 'Band of Brothers' Set
The actor detailed a difficult first day on the acclaimed HBO miniseries, recalling an incident where a castmate and his friends targeted him.
James McAvoy has spoken out about a negative experience he had on the set of the acclaimed HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers," revealing that he was bullied by a co-star on his first day of filming.
During an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live" on Monday, McAvoy confirmed that the incident occurred during his time on the 2001 series. He described the situation as "terrible," explaining that one of his castmates, along with his friends, singled him out.
"He got him and his buddies to just stand pointing at me and laugh at me for, like, three minutes," McAvoy recounted. The actor was appearing as a guest on the show when host Andy Cohen presented a cast photo of the series. McAvoy confirmed that the individual responsible was one of the actors pictured, though he did not name the person directly. He did, however, clarify that it was not David Schwimmer.
McAvoy, who played Private First Class James W. Miller in the fourth episode of "Band of Brothers," explained the potential source of the tension. He noted that many of the actors had been involved with the project for nine to ten months, working with limited lines, while he was brought in for a single episode with a more significant arc and numerous lines.
"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. They were all pissed. I come in for one episode, and I’ve got an arc and scenes. I’ve got tons of lines," McAvoy said.
Despite the initial negative experience, McAvoy rated the overall filming of "Band of Brothers" as a nine out of ten. He also shared that two cast members, Dexter Fletcher and Robin Laing, intervened and offered him support during the difficult moment, inviting him to "hang with us, man."
McAvoy also reflected on other career milestones during his interview. He described his 1995 film debut in "The Near Room" as "amazing" but also confessed to being "terrified." He looked back even more fondly on his role in "The Chronicles of Narnia," calling it a "10 out of 10" experience. He enjoyed six months in New Zealand with only twenty days of work, allowing him time for hiking and camping.