James McAvoy's Near-Miss as Tom Riddle in Harry Potter

According to James McAvoy, he was once considered for the role of Tom Riddle in Harry Potter. However, he decided to step away from the opportunity based on his agent's advice, despite the substantial financial offer from Gringotts. On a recent episode of Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, McAvoy revealed that accepting the role would have meant a seven-month work hiatus.

McAvoy reminisced about the early days of his career, explaining that he auditioned for the role and was put on a retainer along with several other actors. At that time, the offer was substantial—around 40,000 pounds—but it came with the condition of not working for several months.

His agent advised against the deal, recommending that he pursue other opportunities. McAvoy then took on a play, which unfortunately led to being booed by a homophobic audience member. Despite the challenges, he feels no regrets, noting that the experience contributed significantly to his growth as an actor.

This revelation is especially intriguing since McAvoy is often fan-cast as Tom Riddle, who later becomes Lord Voldemort. The role eventually went to Christian Coulson in Chamber of Secrets and Hero Fiennes Tiffin in Half-Blood Prince.

McAvoy's agent likely isn't concerned about the missed opportunity, as his career has flourished with acclaimed roles in Split, Glass, Atonement, X-Men, and Speak No Evil.