James McAvoy first came to the attention of many American fans when he played a fawn in The Chronicles of Narnia and later Becoming Jane and his BAFFTA-nominated performance in Atonement. The Scottish actor made even more waves in the 2011 summer hit X-Men: First Class as the young Professor X. In taking over the role from Sir Patrick Stewart, McAvoy brought a new dimension to the role, of a pre-selfless Xavier before he started his mutant school and began his lifelong rivalry with Magento.
So who is James McAvoy?
According to Wikipedia, the Scottish actor was born on April 21, 1979 in Port Glasgow, Scotland. His parents divorced when he was young and he was raised by his mother and maternal grandparents. McAvoy attended the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in Glasgow and worked at a local bakery. He considered being a priest because it would allow him to travel but decided to become an actor.
McAvoy began acting in his teens and was mainly a stage and television actor before landing film roles. McAvoy’s most notable major on screen movie to date is The Last King of Scotland based on the life of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin which was a critical success. He later earned a Golden Globe nomination to his follow up role in Atonement.
James McAvoy has been married to actress Anne-Marie Duff since 2006 and they have two children. McAvoy is private about his family life and has made it a priority. He was cast in 50/50 with Seth Rogan but dropped out to be with his wife when their first child was born. He said to interviewers that he married the woman of his dreams in Duff.
