Michael Fassbender gets embarrassed by his performances, just like a regular man
Michael Fassbender is one of those huge movie stars that seems almost impossibly great, like he can do anything and is impervious to the anxieties that plague normal people. Apparently, though, that’s not the case, and Michael Fassbender is just as human as the rest of us (give or take). As part of the Toronto Film Festival’s charity-based opening night festivities, Fassbender attended a career retrospective that involved him looking back at some of his work and discussing it. Rather than showcasing the unflappable demeanor of a celebrity, though, he actually opened up and got embarrassed by some of his shakier performances.
Based on this Vulture report, Fassbender’s biggest cringes came when looking back on footage of X-Men: Days Of Future Past. During a scene that involved his Magneto using magnet powers to bring down a plane, Fassbender said, “I don’t actually like that performance there, to be honest.” He later explained that it was like he was just “some dude shouting,” which probably comes from the fact that Magneto’s mutant power isn’t the most visually interesting. Even in the comics he’s usually just some dude shouting.
Fassbender also doesn’t seem to be a big fan of Steve Jobs, at least in the sense that he didn’t have much fun making the movie. When an audience member asked what his most difficult role has been, Fassbender reportedly named the Aaron Sorkin-written film “without hesitation.” He says he was so anxious about the density of the script that he immediately felt the role had been miscast when he saw the script, and he tried to find whatever opportunities he could to get out of the film. He even claims that he asked his driver to slam his arm in a door so it would break and he wouldn’t have to do the movie, but he ended up just working harder to learn his lines.
The rest of the chat included some other interesting insights into Fassbender’s mind, but at least we can all take solace in the fact that he also gets embarrassed by stuff sometimes.