By Donna Freydkin, USA TODAY
NEW YORK � There are those actors who, when asked about their roles, reply with fervid soliloquies about their inspiration and passion and how it governs their choices.
By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY
James McAvoy stars as Professor X in 'X-Men: First Class.'
By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY
James McAvoy stars as Professor X in 'X-Men: First Class.'
And then there's James McAvoy. When he was offered the part of cerebral, erudite Professor Charles Xavier, the mind-reading Mutant leader in X-Men: First Class, he wanted the job because "it was in London, 30 minutes from my front door. That's always nice."
No, but seriously. Wasn't it just plain cool to play Professor X and be part of a comic-book franchise with such a rich legacy and massive global following? Sure, says the cheeky, self-deprecating Scottish actor, 32, but he's not sweating it. "You're playing with people's affections and there's trust as well, in you. That's a big responsibility. But at the end of the day, it's entertainment," he says.
The X-Men prequel, opening Friday, has an impressive 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and tells the story of how McAvoy's Professor X and Michael Fassbender's Magneto became friends, only to have their relationship fracture irreparably. McAvoy took X, played by Patrick Stewart in the first three films as a wise, asexual sage, and put his own stamp on him. "You give him an ego. You give him a sex drive. You make him a little more selfish. You give him a sense of humor," he says.
That decisive approach is typical of how McAvoy operates, says Fassbender. "He makes bold choices and goes forward with them," he says. "James is strong-willed and has a self-confidence to him as well and an awareness of those around him. He's also a gentle soul."
And a devoted family man who adores his wife, actress Anne-Marie Duff, and their son Brendan, 1, says Rose Byrne, Professor's X's on-screen love.
"He's very humble. He's very smart, very quick. He laughs a lot. He's Scottish and I'm Australian so we make fun of each other. He's very playful on set and tries to make things fun," she says. "He's a devoted husband and father and adores his wife and child. He's always talking about them. He's kind of magical."
McAvoy is loose and witty,with a sparkling, bantering sense of humor, but also strategic when it matters. He'd love to work with his wife again ? they met on the 2004 series Shameless and co-starred in 2009's The Last Station? but for the spotlight-averse McAvoy, teaming up with his spouse again on-screen would open the couple up to unwanted scrutiny.
"You have to weigh it up against how much of a headache it would be. It exposes you to a lot of questions," he says. "I'm very big in saying that I don't agree that if you put yourself in the spotlight, you have to accept it. I do think that if you work together as husband and wife, you're kind of asking for it."
He's equally methodical about how the two manage their careers and keep them separate from their private lives. In the last seven years, he has spotted paparazzi outside their home only twice ? and McAvoy would like to keep it that way.
"We've played it very cautiously. We don't take free (stuff). It's who we are individually and it's also a strategy. We respect the media and we use it respectfully to sell movies and sell theater," he says. "We don't like going to parties or premieres if we're not involved. If my career isn't going that well, I'd rather it flounder than desperately trying to show up on red carpets: 'I'm for hire! Remember me!'"
There's very little chance, at this point, of McAvoy ending up on a reality life raft for washed-up stars in a desperate attempt to get work. In July, he starts filming the thriller Welcome to the Punch, also in London. McAvoy, who earned a Golden Globe nomination for playing Keira Knightley's doomed lover in 2007's Atonement and positive notices for depicting Idi Amin's overwhelmed doctor in 2006's The Last King of Scotland, has gotten choosier about his roles. But not too much.
"Up until Atonement, I was a gun for hire and taking the best of what came my way. With The Last King of Scotland, I did that because I was a lead in a movie and why would I say no? After Atonement and Last King, I had a bit of choice," he says. "I've tried to not worry too much. I'm trying to make decisions that affect my lifestyle as well and keep me at home as much as possible."
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