When you see an actor/actress standing on that podium, Oscar clutched tightly in one hand, dramatic gesticulation going on with the other, voice wobbling a little as they mumble: ‘I’d like to thank my mum, my dad, my family...’ you assume they’re there because they’d given a stunning performance in a film, one which the Academy deemed was so much better than any other performance in their category that year – whatever the part, whatever the film...
Whilst we assume that’s true for the most part, British actor James McAvoy has said recently that that's not all award-winning hopefuls need to do to win a coveted gong.
According to the X-Men star, they must also make out the role they are nominated for was the hardest, most gruelling ordeal they have ever experierenced in their WHOLE careers (and that they are told to do so...).
Eeeek...
Speaking to US website The-Talks.com, James said: ‘I’ve been told so many times that if you want to win awards, you need to start making it sound like you’re fXXXXXX sweating blood every time you step on set…’
‘People want me to say things like, “That was the hardest thing I’ve done! It consumed me completely!”’, he continued. ‘People will ask, “Was this the most challenging role of your career?” I’m always like, “I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not.” It was probably a lot of effort and sweat but…
‘I think if you tell yourself this is the hardest thing you’ve ever done, then it will become the hardest thing you’ve ever done. For me, it’s just my job and creatively speaking, it didn’t leave me fXXXXX — but I feel that people are disappointed when I say that!’
When asked in the same interview whether some actors take their jobs too seriously, James replied: ‘Well, I’ve seen actors who talk about it like it’s holy science but it’s like, you’re full of sXXX! You just do the same sXXX I do!’
Talk about telling it straight!
James recently starred in M. Night Shyamalan's movie Split, the story of a kidnapper (played by James) who suffers from Disassociative Identity Disorder and has no less than 23 different personalities.
Yep, you read that right: 23. And acting them all was, presumably, not the hardest thing James has ever done. All in a good day’s work, really...
Wowsers!
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