James McAvoy shot to fame in the Channel Four series Shameless. In his short career McAvoy has proved himself in a wide variety of mediums including television, film and theatre.He made his screen debut at the age of sixteen in David Hayman’s The Near Room in 1995. The young actor, who graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, has moved back and forth between television and film.He starred in an adaptation of Zadie Smith’s novel White Teeth which brought him to the attention of Hollywood. He was cast in Emmy award winning mini sci-fi series Children of Dune as Leto Atreides II as well as landing a small part in Spielberg’s Band of Brothers.He came back to the UK to star in BBC political drama series State of Play with Bill Nighy and John Simm. He also began working in British film landing roles in Stephen Fry’s Bright Young Things in 2003, Wimbledon in 2004 and Inside I’m Dancing also in 2004.But up to this point it was his role of Steve McBride in Shameless from 2004 - 2005 for which he was most famous. He began dating co-star Anne Marie Duff who he later married.Since leaving Shameless in 2005 McAvoy has been in a string of successful movies including Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and Starter for Ten.
In 2006 came his career boosting role in The Last King of Scotland alongside Forest Whitaker. The film was based on the brutal regime of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
This role won McAvoy the Orange Rising Star Award at the BAFTA’s as well as a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
This year he starred in Becoming Jane alongside Anne Hathaway, which tells the tale of Jane Austen, and Atonement as Robbie Turner, a role which has critical acclaim.
He will next appear alongside Christina Ricci, Reese Witherspoon and Richard E. Grant in Penelope.
But his seadt rise to fame and his wide variety of roles have moulded James into one of this country's top young actors and great leading men.
Helen Earnshaw
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