McAvoy added that horror actors still do not receive recognition for the quality of work being produced in the genre
Pop Culture & ArtOctober 18, 20262 min readPhoto: AFP
James McAvoy has revealed that Split, his 2016 psychological thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is the only film in his career that consistently earns him residual payments, despite starring in several major box office hits.
The actor shared the revelation during an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast on October 15, while discussing his career and directorial debut, California Schemin’.
McAvoy explained that residual payments from his films are usually unpredictable, with some cheques amounting to only a few hundred pounds and others worth as little as 25 cents.
“You get the odd check for, you know, a couple 100 quid here or sometimes you get checks for, like, 25 cents,” he told Horowitz. “But the only one that really consistently pays me is Split.”
Released in 2016, Split follows Kevin Wendell Crumb, a man with dissociative identity disorder who has 23 distinct personalities. McAvoy portrays the character, delivering a performance that required him to switch between numerous identities, each with its own mannerisms and characteristics.
The film also stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey Cooke, alongside Betty Buckley and Haley Lu Richardson. Its commercial success proved particularly lucrative, with McAvoy attributing the continuing residual payments to the film’s relatively modest production budget and strong box office performance.
“I think it was made for like $6 million or something like that,” he said, estimating that the marketing campaign cost around $30 million. “And in our first weekend, we made 40, so we were in profit.”
McAvoy recalled receiving his first residual payment at the end of the film’s opening weekend, describing the experience as “bonkers”. The film ultimately grossed approximately $278 million worldwide, making it a significant commercial success relative to its production costs.
The actor credited Shyamalan’s filmmaking approach for helping make the project financially successful. He praised the director’s preparation and ability to maximise limited rea relatively modest budget
“The thing I took away from him is his preparedness,” McAvoy said, explaining that Shyamalan was focused on making the most of each filming day and communicating his vision clearly to the crew.
McAvoy said he consciously and subconsciously adopted lessons from directors he had worked with when making California Schemin’, his own directorial debut. The film marks a new chapter in his career as he explores work behind the camera.
Despite Split receiving positive reviews and generating awards-season discussion around McAvoy’s performance, the actor said he had not expected a horror film to receive significant recognition from major awards bodies.
“I didn’t think it would get welcomed into that sphere much,” he said, referring to awards consideration for genre performances. He added that horror actors still do not receive enough recognition for the quality of work being produced in the genre, although he believes attitudes are gradually changing.
McAvoy also praised actress Inde Navarrette for her performance in the psychological thriller Obsession, highlighting her ability to shift between emotional states and describing her work as both impressive and unsettling.
The actor’s comments offer a glimpse into the financial realities of a film career, where box office success does not necessarily translate into substantial residual income for performers. For McAvoy, Split remains a notable exception, continuing to generate payments years after its theatrical release.
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