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Anya Taylor-Joy was relieved she didn’t have to work with a method actor playing a cannibal
Anya Taylor-Joy said she was relieved that James McAvoy replaced Joaquin Phoenix in the 2017 thriller *Split*. She imagined that filming scenes as a captive opposite a method actor playing a character who might eat her could have been an uncomfortable experience.
Taylor-Joy has criticised method acting as a practice more readily accepted in male performers, and says actors should consider the effect their behaviour has on cast and crew. McAvoy joined the film about two weeks before shooting and prepared to play eight of the character’s 24 personalities; he said the short preparation time helped him trust his instincts.
In short
- Taylor-Joy was glad McAvoy replaced Phoenix in *Split*.
- She joked about playing opposite a method actor portraying a cannibal.
- McAvoy had only weeks to prepare for eight personalities.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Method acting can help performers build a vivid, consistent character, and some actors find sustained immersion useful for emotionally demanding roles. On a tense film set, however, cast and crew still need clear professional boundaries; Taylor-Joy’s concern is that an actor’s preparation should not make colleagues feel unsafe or uncomfortable, especially when the scene involves captivity or threatened violence.
The case against
Actors should have room to choose demanding preparation methods if they believe those methods help them give a truthful performance. A performer playing a threatening character need not behave threateningly towards colleagues, and McAvoy’s account suggests that instinct and a short preparation period can also serve the role; concerns about method acting are strongest when they address specific conduct rather than the practice as a whole.
Explained simply
Anya Taylor-Joy is an actor who played a teenager held captive in Split, a 2017 psychological thriller. James McAvoy played her captor, a man whose character has 24 distinct personalities.
Joaquin Phoenix was originally cast in McAvoy’s role but left before filming began. The film’s casting prompted discussion of method acting, in which performers may use approaches intended to help them inhabit a role, and how those choices can affect other people on set.