Whisky helped McAvoy cope with Filth character

Scottish actor James McAvoy has revealed that large amounts of whisky helped him to cope with his character in his new film Filth.

McAvoy plays the lead role of Bruce Robertson in the new film, which is based on Irvine Welsh’s book of the same name. In the film Robertson, a corrupt policeman, indulges in “games” as he investigates a murder and tries to outmanoeuvre his colleagues to gain a promotion. He also indulges in drug and alcohol abuse.

Speaking at the film’s premiere in London’s Leicester Square, McAvoy revealed that he drank whisky at the end of each day’s filming to try and forget his disturbing character.

He told the Herald Scotland: “I drank a hell of a lot of whisky and that helped me get out of character. But in the morning, I had such a headache that it helped me get into character, so that was good.”

McAvoy added that the film does not condone abusive behaviour or criminality, rather it confronts mental illness.

He added: “No matter how horrible Bruce gets, or how abusive he gets or how bigoted he gets, we know he’s sick.

“We’re not condoning his behaviour, we’re condemning it actually, the film condemns him. But we’re still asking you to feel something for him, because he’s a human being.”

Filth is already out in cinemas in Scotland and is released in the rest of the UK on Friday 4 October.