Acclaimed Scottish actor James McAvoy once almost died after his lungs collapsed upon waking in the middle of the night.

There are some actors so skilled at their craft that their previous characters don’t even enter your mind when watching them perform. You could make a strong case that James McAvoy is on that level. The 44-year-old Scottish actor rose to fame with a role on the UK TV series Shameless but would soon break into Hollywood with movies like The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe, later portraying a young Charles Xavier (aka Professor X) in the X-Men franchise. Fans know him for many roles, but they may not know about the time he almost died.

James McAvoy almost died after his lungs collapsed in the night

You may remember James portrayed The Beast, a man with multiple personalities, in the 2016 M. Night Shyamalan thriller Split.

He reprised the part in the 2019 sequel Glass, but in the weeks leading up to shooting the blockbuster film he had a close brush with death.

James had been grappling with a condition called sarcoidosis, which causes patches of swollen tissue to develop in the body—he had an operation for it. One day, he woke up in the middle of the night shocked to discover his lungs had collapsed. However, the collapse stemmed from a wound from a recent biopsy. A surgery scar had become infected.

Panicked, he dialed 111 but struggled to get his speech out to the person on the other end of the line.

Thankfully, the actor was able to receive the care he needed during a lengthy hospital stay. He survived the harrowing incident with his life to be thankful for, but it’s not how you’ve heard it described…

James said there was no ‘epiphany’ when his life was threatened

You may think that the actor was struck with this sudden realization about all the things he needs to be appreciative of.

“I didn’t get an epiphany of like, every day is so precious, I need to live it to the max,” he revealed during an interview with GQ when reflecting on the night it happened. “It’s not like that.”

Despite that not being the case, the ordeal encouraged him to reevaluate his appreciation of the body.

“I couldn’t run to the end of the road and back for like, four or five months,” he confessed. “But weirdly, I could lift f***ing 160kg.’

With the role in the upcoming movie Glass still a priority for the dedicated actor, he collaborated with a trainer to help get him in the physical shape required for the character. Or characters, rather.

“He was also kind of rehabilitating me as well,” he reflected on the relationship. “It was kind of perfect timing.”

As you’re likely well aware, James is very much active as an actor in the present day, currently set to star in a central role in Speak No Evil, an English-language remake of a disturbing Danish thriller. It’s out in theaters on Friday, September 13th 2024.

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