Tobey Maguire plays the menacing villain James McKay in Damien Chazelle’s Babylon. The character is worlds away from how audiences are used to seeing the actor, best known for his portrayal of the sweet Peter Parker throughout Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. Babylon is set in 1920s Hollywood, as fictitious industry characters transition from silent to sound films and McKay is violent mob boss (whose got a couple of film ideas). Chazelle told EW that Maguire chose to play McKay, calling the film villain the “creepiest, the most depraved of all of them.”

About choosing the film’s villain, Maguire told the publication:

The actor admitted that he looked forward to playing a character unlike any other he’s played in films:

“There was something kind of appealing about playing James, because he was unusual and I really liked the character. I liked the role that he plays in the story, and where he comes [into play], hoisting the film and these guys into that underbelly, into that world. It seemed like fun. And I didn’t have a really clear vision of what I would do, which was kind of exciting. There was just a lot of possibility in the characterization.”

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“It was certainly fun. I’m trying to think, but yeah, I don’t know when I’ve gotten to play a character like this. Certainly nothing I can remember. Nothing in film that people would have seen. Of course, as an actor reading plays, or playing with your friends, you do all kinds of stuff. That was definitely a part of playing James, this idea of: Oh, I just want to go dive into something I haven’t done and not know what I’m going to do,” he added.

Babylon’s All-Star Cast

     Paramount Pictures

Before Babylon, Maguire most recently appeared in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. His past film credits include Deconstructing Harry, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Pleasantville, The Cider House Rules, Brothers and The Great Gatsby. In 2012, he launched his own production company Material Pictures.

Babylon also stars Brad Pitt as silent film star Jack Conrad; Diego Calva as Manny, a Mexican-American film assistant with big industry dreams; Margot Robbie as aspiring actress Nellie LaRoy; Jean Smart as journalist Elinor St. John; Jovan Adepo as jazz trumpeter Sidney Palmer; and Li Jun Li as cabaret singer Lady Fay Zhu.

The anticipated film’s opening weekend grossed just $3.5 million and audience and critical reception has been mixed.