James McAvoy is about to send shivers down your spine with his latest role in the upcoming psychological thriller Speak No Evil. The Scottish actor, known for his versatility and intensity on screen, is embracing a new role that might feel familiar to some. Why? Because McAvoy’s character, Paddy, was inspired by none other than the controversial alleged criminal and former influencer, Andrew Tate.

In Speak No Evil, a remake of the acclaimed 2022 Danish film of the same name, McAvoy plays Paddy, the seemingly charming yet deeply unsettling father of a British family with a sinister secret. The plot revolves around Paddy and his family, who invite another unsuspecting family to their idyllic countryside home. But, as is the norm with psychological thrillers, not everything is as it initially appears.

McAvoy recently spoke about the character in an interview with Empire (via Deadline), revealing that he drew inspiration from Andrew Tate, the self-proclaimed “alpha male” and influencer who has gained infamy for his toxic and often misogynistic views. “The thing I thought I could exploit in the character was, he thinks he’s a bit of a… West Country Andrew Tate,” the actor explained.

For those of you who might somehow still be blissfully unaware, Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, have become infamous on social media platforms. Over the past five years, they’ve built a loyal following by promoting a brand of masculinity that many have condemned as harmful and regressive. Both brothers are currently under house arrest in Romania, facing serious charges including rape and human trafficking. Their influence, however, particularly on young boys, remains a disturbing aspect of their notoriety, which is something McAvoy tapped into while crafting his character.

Tate’s brand of toxic masculinity, wrapped in a veneer of self-assuredness and traditional male dominance, is what the Scottish actor found particularly intriguing: “I thought it played to a lot of these figures that are out there garnering the attention of young men, and not just young men, but a lot of young men at the moment, with this quite uncompromising and quite upsetting and worrying doctrine,” McAvoy explained.

The character of Paddy, much like Tate, is not a straightforward villain. McAvoy emphasised that his portrayal was designed to ride a fine line, making the character’s darkness all the more unsettling: “He isn’t just being Andrew Tate. The film explores our capability to accept. Our capability to acquiesce, and to just take a lot of sh*t and believe what you’re being told and comply.”

Just like Tate’s so-called traditional masculinity, Paddy’s charm hides a dark and twisted agenda, proving once again that some ‘manly’ retreats are best left off the itinerary.