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X-Men fans were seeing double on Monday when both the younger and older versions of Professor Xavier appeared on Good Morning America.
James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart each shared their thoughts on the other actor, with McAvoy revealing that he initially shaved his head when he learned he would be playing the younger version of Stewart’s character.
“I had showed up on the first day of X-Men: First Class, and I had shaved my head because I wanted to check what it looked like about a month before we started shooting — and it looked quite good — and they were like, ‘No, no, no, no, we want you to have long hair.’ ”
PHOTOS: ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ Premiere
So, McAvoy explains, he spent 15 hours getting hair extensions for the first film and 18 hours getting hair extensions for X-Men: Days of Future Past in which Xavier’s hair is a bit longer.
But copying Stewart’s cue-ball look wasn’t the only way McAvoy tried to get into character, explaining that he also watched early YouTube clips of Stewart to prepare.
“I watched everything that Patrick has ever done, starting with the earliest things I can find on YouTube,” McAvoy said.
Stewart, meanwhile, found it flattering that McAvoy was playing the younger version of his character.
STORY: At ‘X-Men’ Premiere, Jennifer Lawrence Talks Mystique’s ‘Undetermined Future’
“I never looked this good,” Stewart said. “So I thought maybe people would remember me that I looked like James McAvoy.”
He added that while filming Days of Future Past with McAvoy, there were creepy moments when he saw himself in McAvoy.
“In this movie, there were moments when I saw clearly Professor Xavier in James, but there were even creepier moments when I saw Patrick Stewart, especially in profile, in James’ profile,” Stewart said.
REVIEW: X-Men: Days of Future Past
In addition to traveling the world promoting Days of Future Past, McAvoy stopped by Cannes over the weekend to promote his upcoming film, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, in which he stars opposite Jessica Chastain.
McAvoy also spoke to The Hollywood Reporter at Cannes. Video of that interview will be posted shortly.
Until then, check out McAvoy and Stewart’s interview on GMA, below.
ABC US News | International News
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