'I came close to needing one!': James McAvoy reveals he wore a nappy to avoid an accident in the gym while bulking up for role in Split

He's an actor who commits to his roles with great vigor, changing his appearance to suit the occasion.

But it seems James McAvoy went above and beyond when it came to bulking up for his role as a killer schizophrenic, with the actor admitting he wore a nappy.

In scenes set to air on Saturday's The Graham Norton Show, the 37-year-old actor revealed he'd been afraid of the strain lifting weights in the gym would have on him.

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'I came close to needing a nappy!': It seems James McAvoy went beyond when it came to bulking up for his role as a killer schizophrenic, with the actor admitting he wore a nappy

Appearing on the New Year's Eve special of the show, the X-Men star explained that he'd heard movie icon Arnold Schwarzenegger had worn a nappy whilst training to be Mr Universe.

Speaking about his drastic preventative measure in the gum, James explained: 'There’s only so much my frame can bulk up without looking like an apple. I did power lifting for a good few months.'

And it seems that it was power lifting that was the main danger zone for James, as he revealed: 

'There were a couple of times I felt like Arnold Schwarzenegger – not because I was getting ripped, but because I’d heard he used to wear a nappy when he was at the height of his prowess as Mr Universe.'

Above and beyond? In scenes set to air on Saturday's The Graham Norton Show, the 37-year-old actor revealed he'd been afraid of the strain lifting weights in the gym would have on him

'When you go to the outer limits your body can release its contents!' And I’ve got to be honest, I came close a couple of times to needing a nappy!': He said in regards to wearing a nappy

As his strange anecdote received a quizzical reception from his fellow guests and Graham, James explained the upside to wearing a nappy in the gym. 

'When you go to the outer limits of what you are capable of, your body can release its contents!' He explained. 'And I’ve got to be honest, I came close a couple of times to needing a nappy!'

But it seems that a quick and unexpected release isn't the only thing that James has had to watch out for in his acting career, as he also revealed he became addicted to computer games. 

Speaking about his experience of getting lost in Bethesda's award-winning Elder Scrolls series, the former Shameless star admitted he became addicted to the RPG. 

In good coimpany: Other guest on the one-hour special include: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Frank Skinner

'When I went to Ireland to film Becoming Jane my partner got me an Xbox and I thought, "What have you done? You’re going to ruin the job for me". 

'I stayed up three nights in a row playing Oblivion. I was working 16-hour days and then staying up all night playing the game. 

'By the end of it I looked like I was on crack cocaine and I was forgetting my lines. On the final morning I was eating pizza, drinking coke and still playing the game when the driver collected me for filming so I ejected the game and burnt the CD on the cooker. I haven’t got into computer games since.'

Other guest on the one-hour special include: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Frank Skinner, Irish Olympic rowing champions Gary and Paul O’Donovan, and DJ Pete Tong and The Heritage Orchestra.

The Graham Norton Show New Year's eve specila will be shown on BBC One, December 31 at 10.25pm.

Tune in: The Graham Norton Show New Year's eve specila will be shown on BBC One, December 31 at 10.25pm

 

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