James McAvoy Assaulted in Toronto One Day After Directorial Debut
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, James McAvoy was involved in a physical altercation with a man at a Toronto bar on Monday night. The incident occurred just one day after the Scottish actor premiered his first film as a director, California Schemin, at the Toronto International Film Festival.
McAvoy was at Charlotte’s Room bar with one of the film’s producers when, shortly before midnight, he was struck in the face by a man during a confrontation.
A source told People: “James was enjoying a friendly gathering with his film’s producers, and as he later learned in speaking with the staff, a man who had had too much to drink was being escorted out of the bar. James had his back turned when the man suddenly threw a punch.”
Eyewitnesses claimed the Atonement star was caught off guard but chose to stay at the bar, brushing off the incident with laughter despite the attack.
The biographical film California Schemin tells the story of rappers Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd from Dundee, who formed Silibil N’ Brains and rose to fame in early 2000s London. Rejected by the music industry because of their accents, they deceived labels and ultimately signed with Sony U.K.
During a Q&A session ahead of the screening, McAvoy explained why he chose this story for his directorial debut: “I came across this project and saw an opportunity to tell a story about people with limited horizons but who are still inspiring, entertaining, and funny. I wanted my first film to be Scottish, because we’re not often seen.”
