Born in Glasgow in 1979, James McAvoy was brought up by his maternal grandparents in Drumchapel after his mother suffered from poor health following her divorce from her husband.
He was educated at St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School in the Jordanhill area of the city and briefly considered becoming a priest, but instead opted to join the Royal Navy.
He changed his mind when he was offered a place at Glasgow’s Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, before moving to London to pursue an acting career.
It didn’t take him long to find success in television, with early roles in the likes of State of Play, Frank Herbert's Children of Dune, and Shameless.
His big screen breakthrough came playing Mr. Tumnus in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2005.
He has since gone on to star in a string of hit films including Wanted, The Last King of Scotland, Atonement, the X-Men series, Filth, Split, Glass and It Chapter Two.
He’s also had a recent telvision hit in the form of His Dark Materials, and has also had success on the stage, receiving four Olivier nominations for best actor, most recently for playing the title role in Cyrano de Bergerac in 2020.
And this year has seen him wi more acclaim, for his perfomance in horror film Speak No Evil.
Here are 13 interesting things he’s said in interview.
!["I considered becoming a priest very seriously. I wanted to travel the world. By the time I turned 16, I realized I was only in it for selfish reasons. And, more importantly, I didn't want to sacrifice the ladies!"](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/09/24/14/23/GettyImages-459085520.jpeg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
1. James McAvoy...on childhood ambitions
"I considered becoming a priest very seriously. I wanted to travel the world. By the time I turned 16, I realized I was only in it for selfish reasons. And, more importantly, I didn't want to sacrifice the ladies!" | Getty Images
!["I'm 5 foot 7, and I've got pasty white skin. I don't think I'm ugly, don't get me wrong, but I'm not your classic lead man, Brad Pitt guy."](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/09/24/14/38/GettyImages-492955364.jpeg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
2. James McAvoy on...his appearance
"I'm 5 foot 7, and I've got pasty white skin. I don't think I'm ugly, don't get me wrong, but I'm not your classic lead man, Brad Pitt guy." | Getty Images
!["Since my worldview has expanded, I don't consider myself working class anymore, and I'm attracted to playing characters who go through a similar evolution."](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/09/24/14/24/GettyImages-652623082.jpeg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
3. James McAvoy on...class
"Since my worldview has expanded, I don't consider myself working class anymore, and I'm attracted to playing characters who go through a similar evolution." | Getty Images
!["I generally get challenged; I haven't been typecast, which is really, really, nice. It's not something that every actor gets, really. It's luxury. Most actors are capable of it, but they aren't afforded the opportunity to express their variety."](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2024/09/24/14/22/GettyImages-845405008.jpeg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
4. James McAvoy on...the roles he's offered
"I generally get challenged; I haven't been typecast, which is really, really, nice. It's not something that every actor gets, really. It's luxury. Most actors are capable of it, but they aren't afforded the opportunity to express their variety." | Getty Images