Acting · Glasgow, Scotland, UK · Born April 21, 1979
James McAvoy (born April 21, 1979) is a Scottish actor. He made his acting debut as a teen in The Near Room (1995) and appeared mostly on television until 2003, when his feature film career began. His notable television work includes the thriller State of Play, science fiction miniseries Frank Herbert's Children of Dune and the channel 4s BAFTA award-winning series Shameless (British TV series). He has performed in several West End productions and has received four nominations for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, and has also done voice work for animated films including Gnomeo & Juliet, its sequel Sherlock Gnomes, and Arthur Christmas. In 2003, McAvoy appeared in a lead role in Bollywood Queen, then in another lead role as Rory in Inside I'm Dancing in 2004. This was followed by a supporting role, as the faun Mr. Tumnus, in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005). His performance in Kevin Macdonald's drama The Last King of Scotland (2006) garnered him several award nominations, including the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor. The critically acclaimed romantic drama war film Atonement (2007) earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination and his second BAFTA nomination. He later appeared as a newly trained assassin in the action thriller Wanted (2008). In 2011, McAvoy portrayed Professor Charles Xavier in the superhero film X-Men: First Class, a role he reprised in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), Deadpool 2 (2018), and Dark Phoenix (2019). McAvoy starred in the crime comedy-drama film Filth (2013), for which he won Best Actor in the British Independent Film Awards. In 2016, he portrayed Kevin Wendell Crumb, a man with 23 alternate personalities, in M. Night Shyamalan's Split, for which he received critical acclaim, and later reprised the role for the sequel Glass (2019). Since 2019, he has portrayed Lord Asriel Belacqua in the BBC/HBO fantasy series His Dark Materials.
MovieCalifornia Schemin'
2026
as Anthony
TVThe Claudia Winkleman Show
2026
as Self
MoviePose
2026
as Thomas
MovieLions Uncut: Australia 2025
2025
as Narrator
MovieThe Space Between Attack and Decay
2025
as Narrator
MovieSpeak No Evil
2024
as Paddy
TVHot Ones Versus
2024
as Self
MovieThe Book of Clarence
2024
as Pontius Pilate
MovieSvensken bakom Hollywoodkroppen
2023
as Himself
TVThe Sandman
2022
as Golden Haired Man (voice)
MovieThe Bubble
2022
as James McAvoy
MovieThe Sands Between
2021
as Man
MovieMy Son
2021
as Edmond Murray
MovieTogether
2021
as He
The Gruffalo and Me: The Remarkable Julia Donaldson
2020
as reader
The Magical World of Julia Donaldson
2020
as Self - Readings
TVThe Bridge: Race to a Fortune
2020
as Narrator
MovieOne World: Together at Home
2020
as Self
MovieNational Theatre Live: Cyrano de Bergerac
2020
as Cyrano de Bergerac
MovieThe Summers of It - Chapter Two: It Ends
2019
as Self
TVHis Dark Materials
2019
as Lord Asriel
MovieIt Chapter Two
2019
as Bill Denbrough
MovieDark Phoenix
2019
as Charles Xavier / Professor X
MovieGlass
2019
as Patricia / Dennis / Hedwig / The Beast / Barry / Heinrich / Jade / Ian / Mary Reynolds / Norma / Jalin / Kat / B.T. / Kevin Wendell Crumb / Mr. Pritchard / Felida / Luke / Goddard / Samuel / Polly
TVWatership Down
2018
as Hazel (voice)
MovieOnce Upon a Deadpool
2018
as Charles Xavier / Professor X (uncredited)
MovieDeadpool 2
2018
as Charles Xavier (uncredited)
MovieSherlock Gnomes
2018
as Gnomeo (voice)
TVThe Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer
2018
as Self - Guest
MovieSubmergence
2018
as James More
MovieAtomic Blonde
2017
as David Percival
MovieThe Making of 'Split'
2017
as Self
MovieSplit
2017
as Dennis / Patricia / Hedwig / The Beast / Kevin Wendell Crumb / Barry / Orwell / Jade
MovieX-Men: Apocalypse
2016
as Professor Charles Xavier
MovieVictor Frankenstein
2015
as Victor Frankenstein
TVThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
as Self
MovieDouble Take: Xavier & Magneto
2014
as Self
MovieThe Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her
2014
as Conor
MovieThe Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him
2014
as Conor
MovieX-Men: Days of Future Past
2014
as Charles Xavier
MovieThe Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them
2014
as Conor Ludlow
MovieMuppets Most Wanted
2014
as UPS Guy
TVLate Night with Seth Meyers
2014
as Self - Guest
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
as Self - Guest
MovieFilth
2013
as Bruce
MovieTrance
2013
as Simon
MovieWelcome to the Punch
2013
as Max Lewinsky
MovieX-Men: First Class 35mm Special
2012
as Self
MovieArthur Christmas
2011
as Arthur (voice)
MovieChildren of the Atom - Filming X-Men: First Class
2011
as Self
MovieX-Men: First Class
2011
as Charles Xavier
MovieThe Conspirator
2011
as Frederick Aiken
MovieGnomeo & Juliet
2011
as Gnomeo (voice)
TVConan
2010
as Self - Guest
MovieThe Last Station
2009
as Valentin Bulgakov
TVWatch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
as Self - Guest
MovieWanted
2008
as Wesley Gibson
MoviePenelope
2007
as Johnny/Max
MovieBecoming Jane
2007
as Tom Lefroy
MovieAtonement
2007
as Robbie Turner
TVThe Graham Norton Show
2007
as Self - Guest
MovieThe Last King of Scotland
2006
as Dr. Nicholas Garrigan
MovieStarter for 10
2006
as Brian Jackson
MovieThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
2005
as Mr. Tumnus
MovieShakespeaRe-Told: Macbeth
2005
as Joe Macbeth
TVShakespeaRe-Told
2005
MovieStrings
2004
as Hal
MovieInside I'm Dancing
2004
as Rory O'Shea
MovieWimbledon
2004
as Carl Colt
TVShameless
2004
as Steve McBride
MovieBright Young Things
2003
as Simon Balcairn
TVState of Play
2003
as Dan Foster
TVEarly Doors
2003
as Liam
TVFrank Herbert's Children of Dune
2003
as Leto Atreides II
TVJimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self - Guest
MovieBollywood Queen
2002
as Jay
TVFoyle's War
2002
as Ray Pritchard
TVTop Gear
2002
as Self
TVWhite Teeth
2002
as Josh Malfen
MovieWhite Teeth
2002
as Josh Malfen
TVThe Inspector Lynley Mysteries
2002
as Gowan Ross
TVFriday Night with Jonathan Ross
2001
as Self - Guest
MovieThe Pool
2001
as Mike
TVBand of Brothers
2001
as James W. Miller
TVMurder in Mind
2001
as Martin Vosper
MovieLorna Doone
2001
as Sergeant Bloxham
TVLorna Doone
2000
as Sergeant Bloxham
MovieRegeneration
1997
as Anthony Balfour
MovieThe Near Room
1997
as Kevin
TVThe Daily Show
1996
as Self
TVThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
TVSaturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Host
TVThe Oscars
1953
as Self
Control
as Dr. Conway
Faith
as Michael
