Stephen King's Drug-Fueled Writing Left James McAvoy Without Answers
When the Scottish actor met his literary hero seeking creative wisdom, King's candid admission about substance use during his writing process left McAvoy empty-handed and surprised.
Stephen King's name carries weight beyond the literary world. His novels break through traditional boundaries, finding new life on movie screens across America. Three King adaptations hit theaters in 2025 alone. The Monkey brought horror-comedy to audiences with Theo James facing off against a cursed toy. The Long Walk delivered Hunger Games-style tension as boys competed in a deadly endurance test. The Running Man closed out the year as Edgar Wright's high-octane thriller starring Glen Powell and Lee Pace, updating the 1982 novel King originally published under his Richard Bachman pseudonym to avoid overwhelming publishers.
James McAvoy counts himself among King's biggest fans. The Scottish actor got his chance to meet the master of horror while preparing for It: Chapter Two. McAvoy approached the encounter hoping to extract some creative wisdom from the man behind so many iconic stories.
Meeting a Literary Icon
The conversation didn't go as planned. McAvoy described his experience to Yahoo, explaining his excitement about meeting someone whose work he'd followed for years. "It was pretty awesome, as a fan of his and a fan of many of his books. And a lot of his books actually cross-pollinate as well, with characters and themes showing up, and realms, worlds, realities kind of blending into different series," McAvoy said.
The actor tried pressing King for details about his interconnected fictional universe. King's response caught him off guard. "It was really fun to kind of quiz him about some of that. But his answer was generally, 'Well, you know, James, the thing you have to remember is that I was high as a kite when I wrote that, and I don't remember.'"
Substance-Fueled Creativity
King's admission fits a pattern among certain writers who turned to drugs for inspiration. Authors like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac famously wrote under the influence. For King, substances became part of his creative process during some of his most productive years.
The author has spoken openly about his struggles with addiction. He admits having zero memory of writing most of Cujo because of his substance use at the time. King also calls The Tommyknockers his final "awful" book written while using drugs.
Mutual Admiration
King might have been equally impressed meeting McAvoy. The Scottish actor delivered one of horror's most memorable recent performances in 2016's Split. McAvoy played Kevin, a man with dissociative identity disorder who manifests 23 different personalities. The role showcased McAvoy's range and cemented his reputation in the thriller genre.
Both men have left their mark on horror storytelling, though their creative processes clearly differ. While King relied on altered states during his peak output years, McAvoy brings methodical preparation to his character work.