During an appearance on The Romesh Ranganathan Show, actor James McAvoy opened up about masculinity, the manosphere, and controversial public figures like Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate.
The conversation began lightheartedly, with McAvoy referencing a joke he had written for a TV project he is currently working on. He said, “Confidence is a thing you need to be worried about. Soon as a guy starts saying things like he’s got life all figured out, you know he’s just bought a podcast mic and he’s got a man bun,” he said.
Host Romesh then acknowledged that even people who mock these behaviors can find themselves slipping into them. “There is something about having a stand in front of you that makes you go, before you know it you’re going, and that’s the thing with masculinity. You just find yourself doing it and I always think I would never become that guy, then occasionally I’ll say it,” he admitted.
At one point, McAvoy observed that being a man in 2026 can feel like “we are all trying to be Jordan Peterson.” He continued, “I just see little flashes of him. I can’t be bothered to find out.”
Romesh went on to describe the deeply divided public perception surrounding Peterson. “To a lot of people he’s definitely a baddie. And then there’s some, I don’t want to stereotype but generalize, some men who think actually he’s got something decent to say,” he explained.
He also noted how criticism of Peterson often sparks pushback from supporters. Romesh stated, “So what will happen is on this podcast we might say something like that sounds like the sort of thing Jordan Peterson would say, and then we’ll get a comment like, ‘what I’d love you to do is actually specify what it is specifically you’ve got a problem with, because actually what I think you’ll find is he’s talking a lot of sense,'” he said.
From there, the conversation shifted to Andrew Tate, a figure Romesh suggested has become both widely criticized and fiercely defended online.
“We’re kind of like that with Andrew Tate as well. You would think that’s a safe guy to diss,” he said candidly. He then added his personal view: “And for the record, I think he’s a right c**t. But people are just like, I can’t, why would you say that? Why would you say that?”
McAvoy then replied by saying that his discomfort with Tate went beyond disagreements over opinions. What stood out to him most was the tone and intensity of Tate’s persona.
“There’s something, regardless of the things that he espouses and his opinions and all that kind of stuff. The seriousness and the anger with which he delivers everything, just like, ‘Oh man, it must be really hard being you,'” he said.
Romesh then reflected on how that demeanor contrasts with the luxurious lifestyle Tate often portrays. “It’s that combination of like he talks about smoking cigars and being by the pool and all these women and having a sports car and despite all of that, he doesn’t look like any fun to hang out with at all,” he added. “You just think that would be the most intense, horrible evening you could ever have.”
McAvoy broadened the point to describe a personality type he finds draining in everyday life. “Intense people are hard. It’s hard being around intense people when they like you just sat down,” he said. He illustrated the scenario with a familiar social dynamic. “You go, hi guys, how’s it going? Boom. You’re in. I’m going to tell you about my life. I’m going to tell you about everything,” he continued.
While clarifying he was not claiming Tate behaves exactly this way in person, he noted the impression such energy can create. “Not saying that’s what he does, he might not, but you just go, oh man, just strap in, this is going to be a long night,” he said, before delivering a final jab: “And it’s generally a terrible actor.”
