Fri Sep 13 18:16:00 UTC 2024: ## McAvoy Reveals Joaquin Phoenix’s Last-Minute Exit from “Split”
**James McAvoy, star of the 2016 thriller “Split,” recently revealed that Joaquin Phoenix was initially slated for the lead role but dropped out just two weeks before filming began.** McAvoy, who ultimately landed the part, shared his thoughts on Phoenix’s decision during an interview on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast.
McAvoy stated that he believes Phoenix would have given a unique and “incredible” performance, suggesting the two actors would have brought different interpretations to the complex character. However, McAvoy also admitted that coming in so late was a blessing in disguise, preventing him from over-preparing.
“I think he’d give a very different performance to the one I did. But I think he’d give an incredible performance,” McAvoy said. “Sometimes coming in last minute is the best way… I think he ditched it like two weeks before they started shooting. It was really last minute.”
McAvoy also mentioned that Phoenix’s last-minute departure from “Split” wasn’t the first time the actor had backed out of a film right before shooting. Phoenix recently left a Todd Haynes romance film just five days before filming, reportedly costing him a hefty seven-figure sum.
Meanwhile, McAvoy can currently be seen in the horror film “Speak No Evil,” while Phoenix is set to star in the highly anticipated sequel “Joker: Folie à Deux,” releasing in October.
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