Photo: Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
James McAvoy is, to my mind, the rare actor who makes vulnerability feel dangerous. From his early television work like State of Play and Shameless to the aching restraint of Atonement, he builds characters from the eyes outward, letting guilt and longing flicker before a single line lands. The BAFTA Rising Star award in 2006 now reads like an understatement; he became less a star than a craftsman who happens to be magnetic. I admire how he never sanded off his Glaswegian identity to fit Hollywood, and how he treats blockbusters and small British films with the same seriousness. That consistency is what keeps me watching.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- James McAvoy
- Name (Japanese)
- ジェームズ・マカヴォイ
- Reading
- じぇーむず・まかゔぉい
- Born
- April 21, 1979 (age 47)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Goat
- Origin
- Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Occupation
- television actor / film actor / voice actor / stage actor / actor
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 2006 BAFTA Rising Star Award
- 2008 London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actor of the Year
- 2013 British Independent Film Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Frank Herbert's Children of Dune | — | |
| Notable work | ShakespeaRe-Told | — | |
| Notable work | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | — | |
| Notable work | Starter for 10 | — | |
| Notable work | The Last King of Scotland | — | |
| Notable work | Atonement | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was James McAvoy born?
Born April 21, 1979 (age 47).
Where is James McAvoy from?
James McAvoy is from Glasgow, United Kingdom.
What does James McAvoy do?
James McAvoy works as television actor, film actor, voice actor, stage actor, actor.
What is James McAvoy known for?
Notable works include Frank Herbert's Children of Dune, ShakespeaRe-Told, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Television actor — see all → · Film actor — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.