James McAvoy Credits Andrew Tate for Inspiring His Speak No Evil Character

James McAvoy has revealed that his uber-masculine villain character in the upcoming film, Speak No Evil, was partially inspired by Andrew Tate.

Speaking to Empire, McAvoy explained that the character, Paddy, embodies a hyper-masculine persona similar to what Tate projects. “The thing I thought I could exploit in the character was, he thinks he’s a bit of a… West Country Andrew Tate,” McAvoy said, according to Deadline.

Diving into the nuances of the role, McAvoy elaborated, “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 dick to have a drink with me?’ Or, ‘I’m sorry, this is too much for you because you’re not real enough.’”

Despite Paddy’s malevolence, there’s a softer edge to him. McAvoy described this aspect, saying, “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 fucking am.’”

Speak No Evil was directed by James Watkins and is based on the 2022 Danish film of the same name. The plot follows a young family whose idyllic country vacation evolves into a psychological nightmare. Alongside McAvoy, the cast includes Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, Aisling Franciosi, and more. The film is set to premiere on September 13th.

You can watch the trailer for Speak No Evil below.

Tate himself is still in the midst of legal troubles, facing charges of human trafficking, rape, and forming an organized crime group. These charges came after his arrest in 2022 following a Twitter spat with Greta Thunberg.

Source: Deadline, Empire