History Creator / JamesMcAvoy

* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Creator/MichaelFassbender. Watch any behind the scenes/interview footage of them from the X-Men movies, and it's very obvious that they are as close as their characters.
* HiddenDepths: He trained in gymnastics when he was younger, so possessing good balance and flexibility comes in handy when he wants to perform his own stunts.

** His character in ''Film/{{Split}}'' seems to be in his mid-to-late 20's, while James was around late 30's during the filming. ''Film/{{Glass}}'' shows [[spoiler: Kevin, his character, as a young kid (around seven years old) during the events of ''Film/{{Unbreakable}}'', which is set in 2000. James [=McAvoy=] was around 20 years old at that time.]]

** 2020 Audible Drama: Morpheus

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'' (2020 audio drama)

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' (2020 audio drama)

** He was cast as Adam Lerner for ''Film/FiftyFifty'', but he left the production due to personal reasons.

* SirSwearsALot: In ''Film/{{Wanted}}'', ''Film/{{Filth}}'', ''Film/WelcomeToThePunch'' and ''Film/TheDisappearanceOfEleanorRigby'' he portrays characters who curse like a sailor. He's known for using foul language in interviews, and has acknowledged on numerous occasions that he's "a walking dick/penis joke."

* PlayingAgainstType: {{invoked}}.

* PlayingWithCharacterType: [[invoked]] In ''Film/VictorFrankenstein''. He was almost always TypeCast as a WideEyedIdealist, he often appeared in {{Period Piece}}s, and he had about a dozen roles where he portrayed an [[BrainyBrunet intellectual character]]. Between 2013 and 2015, however, he was PlayingAgainstType as all of his onscreen and theatre personas suffered from mental illness. [=McAvoy=]'s interpretation of MadScientist Victor Frankenstein combines ''all'' of these elements; Victor is a dark character, but even he possesses a hint of naïvety when he says things like, "I dream of a world where hope replaces fear." That line of dialogue could have been spoken by the benevolent [[Film/XMenFirstClass Dr. Charles Xavier]] (which is [=McAvoy=]'s most famous example of TypeCasting), but in Victor's case, his idealism is mixed with SanitySlippage, and they twist him into a WellIntentionedExtremist. Those who have attended test screenings for ''Victor Frankenstein'' have described [=McAvoy's=] role as a cross between Professor X and the psychologically disturbed [[Film/{{Filth}} Bruce Robertson]] (which is the actor's most notable PlayingAgainstType performance).

* InnocentBlueEyes: His bright blue eyes are sometimes emphasized by a director to denote the character's goodness and/or naïvety, such as [[Series/BandOfBrothers Pvt. James W. Miller]], [[Literature/WhiteTeeth Josh Malfen]], Jay (''Bollywood Queen''), [[Film/TheLastKingOfScotland Dr. Nicholas Garrigan]], [[Film/StarterForTen Brian Jackson]], [[Film/{{Atonement}} Robbie Turner]], Tom Lefroy (''Becoming Jane''), Valentin Bulgakov (''The Last Station'') and [[Film/XMenFirstClass Professor]] [[Film/XMenApocalypse Charles Xavier]].

* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Michael Fassbender. Watch any behind the scenes/interview footage of them in the X Men movies and it’s very obvious they are as close as their characters.

-->'''Mark at the Movies:''' I want to be young, I want to be good-looking, and have an accent! That guy [James [=McAvoy=]] says "Fishcakes," [...] and all the women go, "Awwww..."\\

* HollywoodNerd: Played straight as [[Literature/WhiteTeeth Josh Malfen]] in the miniseries adaptation and as [[Film/StarterForTen Brian Jackson]]. Downplayed with [[Film/TheDisappearanceOfEleanorRigby Conor Ludlow]] because the character only puts on his spectacles when he's doing the paperwork for his small business, although his father mentions that he had furnished Conor with a six-figure education, so Conor is more intellectual than he let's on. Also applies to the actor in RealLife (who is ProudToBeAGeek) on the rare occasion when he wears his glasses in public. Prada even exploited this trope when [=McAvoy=] [[http://40.media.tumblr.com/11c8753e9bdd6fb57d7dbb1b61f8b9ce/tumblr_ner35dQWPp1th474io2_1280.jpg modeled]] for the fashion house in 2014.

* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Michael Fassbender. Watch any behind the scenes/interview footage of them in the X amen movies and it’s very obvious they are as close as their characters.

* HeterosexualLife-Partners: With Michael Fassbender. Watch any behind the scenes/interview footage of them in the X amen movies and it’s very obvious they are as close as their characters.

** He had stated that one of the reasons he wanted to play [[Film/XMenFilmSeries Professor Charles Xavier]] was so that he can embody a young [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Captain Picard]]. He frequently expressed to interviewers how much it delighted him to share a scene with Creator/PatrickStewart in ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', and the standard Blu-Ray release includes a featurette called "Double Take: Xavier & Magneto" where [=McAvoy=] can't stop fanboy-ing over his idol. He was also fond of the ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' animated series when he was younger, and can [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUezp2d6vks hum the theme song]] from memory.

From being once solely known by worldwide moviegoers as "that guy who played [[Film/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Mr. Tumnus]],"[[note]]which ''Saturday Night Live'' did acknowledge and made fun of when he hosted[[/note]] [=McAvoy=] has since achieved mainstream success and acclaim after starring as the lead in ''Film/TheLastKingOfScotland'' as [[TheCasanova Dr. Nicholas Garrigan]] (which earned him the UsefulNotes/{{BAFTA}} Rising Star Award) and the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward-nominated ''Film/{{Atonement}}'' as Robbie Turner (which led to a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination), as well as box office hits ''Film/{{Wanted}}'' as Wesley Gibson, and [[Film/XMenFirstClass the X-Men]] [[Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast First Class]] [[Film/XMenApocalypse trilogy]] as the young ComicBook/ProfessorX. His role in ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' is considered by many critics to be one of the finest examples of acting in a comic book movie.

** He shaved his head for ''Film/XMenApocalypse'', ''Film/{{Split}}'', ''Film/DarkPhoenix'' and ''Film/Glass2019''. He also picked up an insane amount of muscle mass for the latter.

* FakeAmerican: [[invoked]] In ''Film/{{Wanted}}'', ''Film/TheConspirator'', ''Film/TheDisappearanceOfEleanorRigby'' and ''Film/{{Split}}''. [[Film/XMenFilmSeries Professor Charles Xavier]] is half-American.[[note]]This is confirmed in ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' when the character mentions his grandfather planting a tree on the Westchester estate.[[/note]]

From being once solely known by worldwide moviegoers as "that guy who played [[Film/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Mr. Tumnus]]," [=McAvoy=] has since achieved mainstream success and acclaim after starring as the lead in ''Film/TheLastKingOfScotland'' as [[TheCasanova Dr. Nicholas Garrigan]] (which earned him the UsefulNotes/{{BAFTA}} Rising Star Award) and the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward-nominated ''Film/{{Atonement}}'' as Robbie Turner (which led to a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination), as well as box office hits ''Film/{{Wanted}}'' as Wesley Gibson, and [[Film/XMenFirstClass the X-Men]] [[Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast First Class]] [[Film/XMenApocalypse trilogy]] as the young ComicBook/ProfessorX. His role in ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' is considered by many critics to be one of the finest examples of acting in a comic book movie.

James [=McAvoy=] (born April 21, 1979 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a Scottish actor who is recognized for a variety of well-received roles and memorable characters. He appeared in a single episode of ''Series/BandOfBrothers'', which first brought him to the attention of Hollywood. ''Series/ChildrenOfDune'' provided his first experience in a starring role (he portrayed the main character for two of its three chapters). He then jump-started his career in the UK as Steve [=McBride=] on ''Series/ShamelessUK''.

** His character in Film/{{Split}} seems to be in his mid-to-late 20's, while James was around late 30's during the filming. Film/{{Glass}} shows [[spoiler: Kevin, his character, as a young kid (around seven years old) during the events of Film/{{Unbreakable}}, which is set in 2000. James [=McAvoy=] was around 20 years old at that time.]]

* ''Film/{{Penelope}}'' (2006)

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' (2020 audiobook)

* ''Literature/{{Neverwhere}}'' (2013) -- a BBC radio drama

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' audio drama (2020)

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' audio drama

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' (2020: Morpheus.