Empire UK

Above: Igor(Daniel

Radcliffe) gets to

grips with the set.

Here:A legendary

monster is brought

back to life.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE AND JAMES

McAvoy are probably sick of reading
about how nice they are. So let’s
speculate that away from the press
the pair spend their time listening to
Norwegian black metal while drinking
the blood of puppies and writing fan
letters to Michael Bay. But on the record
— whether it’s on the cold rainy Surrey
set of Victor Frankenstein or the more
salubrious environs ofEmpire’s photo
shoot— the pair share a self-deprecating
sense of humour thoughtful honesty
and enthusiasm for filmmaking
undimmed by years spotlit as two of
Britain’s few bankable leading men.
Co-stars in the latest adaptation of
Mary Shelley’s monster novel — in which
McAvoy is the titular lunatic boffin and
Radcliffe his horrified friend Igor — they
are separated by ten years but rose to
prominence at roughly the same time
and the young wizard watched the future
mutant with admiration from afar his
eclectic screen and stage work. It’d be
too much to say McAvoy helped create
Radcliffe’s career model but is too
thematically convenient to ignore given
their first screen collaboration so let’s
go with that...

How did you both feel about the idea
of doing Frankenstein?
McAvoy:I thought “Cool!” I liked the
idea of playing the original mad scientist.
And trying to honour that but at the
same time trying to project something
unexpected or fun. And then when
I heard that Dan was involved I thought
“It’s gonna be good” because Dan’s work
has been so interesting and of such a
high quality. So I got really excited. And
it’s at that point you start to go “Aw
shit is it very bad?” You have such high
hopes. You kind of just want to say “Is
it a part where I’ve got lines on more
than half of the pages? Yeah great I’ll
do it.” The only thing that can happen
then is you start reading it and you’re
disappointed. But luckily I wasn’t. Max

(Landis) wrote a page-turner.

Radcliffe:You know I was nine when

I met Maggie Smith. I didn’t know who

Maggie Smith was. So there was no fear

of being awestruck or anything. But when

I met James... I hadgrown up watching

Inside I’m Dancing Atonement Last King

Of Scotland... He was somebody I always

really looked up to. So I think easily the

first week or two it was just a lot of me

being like “Oh my God he’s so good.”

Had you met before being cast?

Radcliffe:I don’t think we had. I just

watched you.

McAvoy:I remember there was a time

when we were making X-Men: First

Class in Pinewood and you came by —

I think to say hi to Nick (Hoult) and I saw

you there but I didn’t want to come over

because I had this weird thing like “Ah

man he always gets crowded I don’t

wanna be crowding him.” I think we first

met when we were rehearsing with Paul

(McGuigan director) in New York.

Radcliffe:Yeah going through the script.

McAvoy:It was a really really good week.

We just spent a long time on the script.