James McAvoy – Scottish actor

James McAvoy is a Scottish actor, best known for his roles in the films Filth, Inside I’m Dancing, The Last Station, Atonement, Becoming Jane, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Last King of Scotland, Victor Frankenstein, Wanted and for the role of Professor X in the films X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, as well as the TV series Children of Dune and Shameless.
James McAvoy was born on April 21, 1979 in Glasgow, Scotland. When the boy was seven years old his parents decided to divorce. James has sister, Joy, who is a singer in the Scottish group Streetside. Joy stayed with their mother and James was sent to his grandparents. The boy attended Catholic school and wanted to become a priest.

McAvoy’s dreams of becoming an actor became a reality, when at age 15, the lad met Scottish actor David Hayman at a school-sponsored career day. Impressed by the youth, Hayman remembered McAvoy and gave him a call four months later to see if he would like to audition for a role in his latest film The Near Room (1986) – a dark thriller about child prostitution. So, James played his first role in 1995 in the film The Near Room.
McAvoy studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
Among his most significant roles are faun Mr. Tumnus in the first part of Chronicles of Narnia, young Leto Atreides II in the miniseries Children of Dune, Wesley Gibson in the blockbuster Wanted, Rory O’Shea in the drama Inside I’m Dancing. James was also a candidate for the role of Bilbo Baggins in the film adaptation of The Hobbit by John Tolkien, but the contract went to Martin Freeman. In addition, he starred in the film Atonement and in 2009 he played in the film The Last Station about the last days of Leo Tolstoy’s life. In 2011 played the role of Professor X Charles Xavier in the first part of a new trilogy, X-Men: first class.
In 2006 he won BAFTA for his role as Dr. Nicholas Garrigan, the head physician to Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the drama The Last King of Scotland. He became a member of the charitable programs after filming The Last King of Scotland.
James kissed Angelina Jolie in the thriller Wanted.
For his role in the black comedy Filth McAvoy received Independent Film Award.
McAvoy also starred alongside Christina Ricci and Reese Witherspoon in the modern fairytale Penelope (2006).

Personal life
James lived with his classmate Emma Nelson for six years. After parting with her he had an addiction to alcohol and creative crisis began in his career.
On the set of the TV series Shameless he met actress Anne-Marie Duff, who is nine years his senior. The two fell in love and eventually married in October of 2006. On June 16, 2010 their son Brendan was born. However, in May 2016 it was reported that the couple divorced.

James McAvoy – Scottish actor