James McAvoy

James McAvoy is a Scottish actor and director born on 21 April 1979 in Glasgow. He gained widespread recognition for his versatility across film, television, and stage productions. McAvoy is particularly well known for portraying Mr. Tumnus in the fantasy film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Charles Xavier in the X-Men film series, and a man with multiple personalities in the thrillers Split and Glass.

McAvoy was raised in Glasgow by his maternal grandparents in the Drumchapel area following his parents' separation and divorce. He attended St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School in Jordanhill and worked at a local bakery during his education. Initially considering the priesthood or a career in the Royal Navy, he ultimately chose to pursue acting after attending the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, from which he graduated in 2000 before moving to London.

His screen debut occurred in 1995 when he appeared as a teenager in the film The Near Room. Early in his career, McAvoy performed in youth theatre and earned roles in various television projects, including the miniseries Band of Brothers, White Teeth, and Frank Herbert's Children of Dune. He received broader public attention for his main roles in the BBC political thriller State of Play and the comedy-drama series Shameless.

McAvoy's feature film career accelerated with his performance as Mr. Tumnus in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2005. The following year, he won the inaugural BAFTA Rising Star Award and starred in The Last King of Scotland, earning a BAFTA Award nomination and winning Best Actor at the Scottish BAFTA Awards. He achieved further critical acclaim for his lead performance in the 2007 romantic period drama Atonement, which earned him Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations.

In 2008, McAvoy starred in the action feature Wanted, followed by lead voice roles in animated films such as Gnomeo & Juliet and Arthur Christmas in 2011. That same year, he debuted as Professor Charles Xavier in the superhero film X-Men: First Class, a role he reprised in subsequent installments of the franchise. His performance in the 2013 independent crime drama Filth earned him the Best Actor award at the British Independent Film Awards.

McAvoy later starred in M. Night Shyamalan's thrillers Split and Glass, as well as the horror film It Chapter Two and the drama Speak No Evil. On television, he portrayed Lord Asriel in the fantasy series His Dark Materials from 2019 to 2022. Additionally, McAvoy has maintained an active stage career in West End productions, including Three Days of Rain, Macbeth, The Ruling Class, and Cyrano de Bergerac, accumulating four Laurence Olivier Award nominations for Best Actor.