The producers scrambled to find someone to play Lord Asriel.
They finally found him a Philip Pullman fanboy.
The creators were in a bind.
HBO
McAvoy, as it happens, visited the home of Kathleen Crawford, the shows casting director.
They were just casually waxing lyrically about the source material, author Philip PullmansDark Materialstrilogy.
There are so many layers to this story.
HBO
I was fanboying, McAvoy recalls of that meeting with Crawford.
Really just getting in deep as fans.
And they made it work, the Glasgow-born actor says.
Missing things isnt necessarily the worst thing, youve just got to do it right.
He describes it as a slightly argumentative nature between the two characters.
Asriel really wont let anyone argue with him, McAvoy points out.
He doesnt really accept anyone elses opinion except his own.
So, it was quite interesting to have him warring with himself and have her warring with herself.
His absence is a big original factor for Lyra and its important to be mysterious, McAvoy says.
So, we can explore further but actually you end up demystifying him somewhat.
He needs to remain an enigmatic and slightly mercurial figure in Lyras view.
Im not bothered about that.
Thats alright, he says.
I sometimes feel its better not to meet your heroes.
That, however, is a story for a different time.
His Dark Materialspremieres in the U.S. on HBO Monday, Nov. 4.
