Jason Isaacs recalls disastrous ‘very first day’ of shoot on ‘Armageddon’

Jason Isaacs almost lost his role in the hit film Armageddon.

The Harry Potter actor played the role of scientist Ronald Quincy, who proposes a daring plan for NASA enlist a team of oil drillers to fly into space, land on a massive asteroid hurtling toward Earth, drill into it, and plant a nuclear bomb to destroy it.

In an interview on The Hollywood Reporter’s podcast Awards Chatter, The White Lotus star recalled being questioned by the director Michael Bay about his performance on the "very first day" of shoot.

"I do the one scene in which I speak, and Michael goes, 'Hey, what is that? Theatre training?'" said Isaac.

After hearing the question from Bay, The Patriot actor said, "I absolutely s--- myself, obviously, thinking I’m gonna be fired. I’m clearly declaiming all over the place."

Isaacs continued that he apologised and his "voice shot up five octaves" while doing so. "And Michael goes, ‘Is that what they teach you in theatre school? And I thought, 'Oh my God. This is my worst nightmare.'"

"And I scurry over to him, and I go, 'Was that terrible?' He goes, 'No. It was awesome,'" he added.

In addition to Isaacs, Armageddon stared Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton, Will Patton, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan and Owen Wilson.