James McAvoy backs Scottish film studio plans
The Glasgow-born actor was asked by the Radio Times magazine ahead of the launch of X-Men: Days of Future Past if he felt a vote for Scottish independence would help to improve the prospects of a Scottish film industry.
McAvoy, 35, said: “I would hate to think we’re not expressing ourselves culturally and blaming the English for that.
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Hide Ad“That’s ridiculous. It’s because nobody’s got off their a*** to invest properly. It’s not a priority for the government. I always think it’s a shame we’ve not got our own studio.”
The actor’s support for a complex in Scotland follows the success of the likes of Brave, Filth - for which he recently won a Jameson Empire Best Actor award for his portrayal of crazed drug-fuelled cop Bruce Robertson - and the upcoming television series Outlander, which is currently filming in parts of the country.
Recent James Bond film Skyfall was also part filmed north of the Border.
McAvoy has consistently refused to be drawn on his feelings on Scottish independence, instead insisting that he is ‘not anti-politics’ but believes ‘people should vote with their heart.’
In a recent interview with The Scotsman, he revealed: “I feel negative about the Yes and No campaigns. This should be a choice about identity, not about whether we’ll get oil, the pound or whether we will be richer.
“You know that there are statements that just can’t be backed up on both sides. It shouldn’t be a question of ‘are things going to be better?’ There’s no country in this world that says, ‘I’m really happy with this government. Taxes are great, education is great and everything is cool, because I voted for my guy.
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Hide Ad“Things are still going to be s**t, or good. It’s just going to be different s**t, or different good. We’re getting sucked into a meaningless political debate. I will go with whatever way my country votes, but I don’t know which way I want to go yet.”
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