James McAvoy Biography

Fast Facts

• Was raised by his maternal grandparents after his parents' divorce when he was 7 years old
• When he was in high school, director David Hayman came to give a talk
• Hayman eventually cast him in the film The Near Room, which helped McAvoy get into drama school
• Also considered careers in the clergy and the Navy
• Before finding fame, worked in a bakery
• Met his wife, Anne-Marie Duff, on the set of the television show Shameless
• Is an avid fan of the Celtic Football Club
• Has supported the charity Retrak, which works with street children in Africa to give them an alternative to living on the streets, since filming 2006's The Last King of Scotland in Uganda
• Earned positive reviews for his performance of the title role in a 2013 West End production of Macbeth that was set in futuristic Scotland