James McAvoy reveals frightening health ordeal while home alone: 'I nearly died'

James McAvoy opened up about a frightening medical emergency that unfolded while he was alone at home, revealing that complications following a lung biopsy almost cost him his life.

The Atonement star, 47, recalled undergoing the procedure after doctors spotted a shadow on his lung and wanted to investigate whether it was cancerous.

The results ruled out cancer, but James said what followed left him seriously ill and facing weeks in hospital. "But that was botched, and I nearly died," he said during his appearance on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast.

James McAvoy recalls lung collapse while home alone

Speaking on the episode released on Monday, 12 October, James looked back on the health scare, which happened in 2017, before he filmed Glass. Two days after the biopsy, he recalled being in bed at home alone, when his lungs collapsed. 

"I had a lung puncture… they saw a shadow in my lung, so they wanted to biopsy it to see if it was cancer, which it wasn't, which was great," he recalled.

"But that was botched, and I nearly died. I was at home two days later, and my lungs just collapsed in bed one night. And I was on my own as well, so it was crazy," he continued. 

The actor said he subsequently spent between two and three weeks in hospital. An infection complicated his recovery, and initial efforts to treat the problem proved unsuccessful. He recalled doctors discussing a more invasive operation to clean out the affected area after other approaches had failed. 

James McAvoy needed rehabilitation before Glass

James was preparing to return as Kevin Wendell Crumb in M. Night Shyamalan's Glass, the 2019 follow-up to Split. The role included the physically imposing Beast, and James explained that the sequel would feature more of the character, including scenes filmed outdoors in daylight.

He approached Shyamalan about getting a trainer to help him prepare. However, after his hospital stay, the immediate task was recovering his ability to exercise.

James could walk, but running, cycling and jogging were beyond him at that stage. The first four weeks with his trainer focused on rehabilitation and functional movement before they progressed to building the muscular physique the film required.

James McAvoy's latest career chapter

The actor's podcast appearance also covered a new professional milestone: his move behind the camera for California Schemin'.

His directorial debut follows two aspiring rappers from Dundee who reinvent themselves as Americans in an attempt to break into the music industry. Based on a true story, the film received its UK gala premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival and opened in UK and Irish cinemas in April.

During the wider conversation, James discussed his Glasgow childhood, working opposite Keira Knightley and the experiences that shaped his approach to acting. When it came to rebuilding his strength after the health scare, he gave particular credit to the trainer who guided those first steps: "The guy that worked with me was amazing."

James welcomed his eldest child, 15-year-old Brendan, with his first wife, Anne-Marie Duff, whom he was married to for 10 years from 2006 to 2016.  The Atonement actor is incredibly private about his family life, yet shared a rare insight into his parenting style with Screen Rant in 2021 before welcoming his second son.