James Mcavoy

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With a flurry of featured roles in high-profile films, [james mcavoy] is a young actor to keep an eye on. Most recently seen as Professor Charles Xavier in the critical and commercial hit “X-Men: First Class”, McAvoy has been on Hollywood’s radar for a few years and is becoming a major film star.

While he gained much notoriety (and a burgeoning fan base) with “Atonement” in 2007, [james mcavoy] had already been paying dues. He was making a name for himself as a talented stage and screen performer well before that breakthrough performance.

Born in Port Glasgow, Scotland in 1979, McAvoy made his acting debut in the 1995 film “The Near Room” when he was 15. After graduating from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 2000, [james mcavoy] took numerous guest-starring roles in TV shows while continuing his theatre work. In 2001 he starred in HBO’s “Band of Brothers”, the eleven-hour TV miniseries produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

“Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune” was the first role to give [james mcavoy] an international audience and was one of the Sci-Fi Channel’s highest-rated programs. 2003 also saw the premiere of “State of Play”. McAvoy’s performance as a rogue reporter in the six-part British miniseries was recognized in the UK and the US.

McAvoy’s stature was raised considerably by his role as the faun Mr. Tumnus in the Walt Disney release “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”. Based on the C.S. Lewis novel, the 2005 film was a huge international hit and further enhanced the actor’s resume.

His performance in “The Last King of Scotland” earned McAvoy an award for best actor from The BAFTA Scottish Awards in 2006. He built on that success with “Atonement”. [james mcavoy] was singled out for his performance and received a Golden Globe nomination for best actor. That led him to the big budget action film “Wanted” (2008) where he co-starred with Angelina Jolie.

While continuing his stage work, subsequent film appearances for [james mcavoy] have included “The Last Station”, voiceover work in the animated “Gnomeo and Juliet”, and Robert Redford’s Civil War drama “The Conspirator”. Future films include “Trance” with director Danny Boyle (“127 Hours”).

Away from the spotlight McAvoy reportedly leads a modest lifestyle with his wife, actress Anne-Marie Duff and their son Brendan. An ardent follower of Celtic League Football McAvoy has mentioned he’d like to portray Jimmy Johnstone, a legend in the sport. Given his rising star, studios will likely allow [james mcavoy] to choose whatever role he likes.