Christopher Abbott felt awkward during his Professor X reveal: Here's why

Legendary Patrick Stewart, ace James McAvoy, and British star Harry Lloyd previously portrayed Professor X on screen.

However, Christopher Abbott is the new face of the mutant leader in the X-Men reboot.

But his experience when he was revealed as Professor X on stage was anything but exciting.

In an interview with New York Magazine, he said he was enthusiastic before arriving on stage.

“I think I started walking out pretty enthusiastically," he said.

Then everything changed when Abbott was called on stage, and he saw the audience's reaction firsthand.

"I kind of felt like a lot of people there didn’t know who I was, so then my energy shifted within the split second. I was a little bit more humble about it.”

The reaction was so muted that Abbott recalled he almost took back his fist pump when he arrived on stage.

“I almost did a fist pump when I walked out, and then I felt like the applause was muted."

“So I was like, ‘I’m just going to walk out and nod.’ It feels almost like a video game or a dream. Not like a good dream. It’s a bit of both — a bit of a dream and a nightmare.”

Before diving into the X-Men universe, Abbott starred in Netflix's miniseries East of Eden.