Oscar Isaac appeared on the latest episode of “Hot Ones” and was asked about the 2016 comic book standout “X-Men: Apocalypse,” in which he played the villain of the same name under a 40-pound costume and a variety of make-up. Isaac previously described the role as “excruciating.” It turns out the actor signed on to star in the X-Men movies because he wanted to work with an A-list ensemble that included Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy, but was unable to do so because of his costume.
“One of the big reasons I took this job was that I was like Fassbender? Jennifer Lawrence? McAvoy? All these great actors. Yeah! And I got so hot that I didn’t meet any of them. And I couldn’t even turn around. So I was just put in this cooling tent,” Isaac said. “Sometimes someone comes up and says (patting me on the back) hey, Oscar. I’m like, ‘Huh?’ and when I turn around, they’re gone. So it’s been very difficult. But I’m grateful for the cool tent.”
In a 2018 GQ interview, Isaac called working on X-Men: Apocalypse “excruciating,” explaining, “When I said yes, I didn’t know this was going to happen. That I would be wrapped in glue and latex and a 40-pound suit and have to wear a cooling device at all times. I could never move my head.”
“I had to sit in a specially designed saddle, because that was the only place I could actually sit. In between takes, I was rolled into a cooling tent,” the actor added. “So they just sat there, not talking to anyone, couldn’t move, sweating in their masks and helmets. And the worst part was taking them off. They had to scrape it off for hours.”
Despite the grueling production, Isaac never had anything bad to say about the film itself. “I’m not denying it,” he told The New York Times in 2022 when asked about the middling assessment.
“I know exactly what I went into there to do and why,” Isaac said. “There were some great actors involved that I really wanted to work with. I’ve been collecting ‘X-Men’ since I was a kid, and I loved ‘Apocalypse.’ I’m wearing a full prosthetic leg. I can’t move. I still remember that moment fondly. I think they could have handled the character a little better.”
Watch Isaac’s full interview on “Hot Ones” in the video below.
