Top 44 James McAvoy Quotes

I wanted to be a doctor at one point and I also wanted to be a pilot. I think if you grow up in a dodgy area, reality often beats down those ambitions as you get older. But with me that never really happened.

I was brought up by my grandparents. So people go, ‘Oh, what was that like? That must have been hard.’ And you go: ‘No, it wasn’t.’ It was just completely actually normal because the new norm seems to be whatever you make of it, doesn’t it?

I like playing a variety of characters. I feel like I’ve been able to play different kinds of characters – I’ve done a lot of period pieces – but I’ve never had to play the same type of character too much.

I judge people very quickly.

I’m having the life that I kind of hoped I might have one time, you know? I do feel like I have a place here. And, at least, I deserve it, as much as anybody else, hopefully.

Next year, if no one gives me any work, that’s fine. I’m not going to do well anyway. I’m not an actor, I’m just exploiting this industry.

For me, Charles Xavier is a monk. He’s like a selfless, egoless almost sexless force for the betterment of humanity and mortality.

I love Christmas. I never used to. I didn’t hate it, but I could take it or leave it. But, as I got to the age of 25 or 26, Christmas became quite a big deal, and I love it now. I love the food, and I love sharing time with people.

There’s something about Michael J. Fox that I loved when he did all the ’80s stuff. His way of performing all the physicality, which is why it’s so tragic now, but the way he used his body so much as well, I loved.

When you can see kids smiling, that’s one of the best things. That’s why I did ‘Narnia.’

That’s the main thing that attracts me – characters who have big journeys. I like playing those people.

I did ‘Narnia’ because it was a good opportunity and all that, but really? I wanted to play Mr. Tumnus because he’s my favourite children’s character. That was awesome.

When I was 15 or 16 – I slept really well then. Now I sleep on a bed of anxiety-tipped nails.

‘St. Elmo’s Fire’ is one of my favorite films. I like the storytelling of those teenage American films. You don’t get that now. Teenage American movies are all about sick jokes, puking a lot, arse jokes.

Film sets are a strange place, but an exciting place. I do love my work; I really enjoy going to work. But if you just spend all your time on film sets or even on stage, you can become a Michael Jackson figure, living in your own little universe.

I don’t know if anybody’s ever ready for another award season. It’s kind of like Christmas.

If a scene is three pages long, quite often people break it up and do a page, say ‘cut’ then move on to the next bit, they do it in cuts. I don’t really like doing that; I like to go through it all in one organic run, then give notes afterward. A little bit more like theater.

I’ve cried a lot because of women. I cry a lot, as a person.

I am a nerd, but I don’t dive head-first into any fiefdom of nerdiness, except for maybe ‘Star Trek.’

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!’

Marriage is an ongoing thing, man. You continue to work at it. But it’s joyful. And joyous. I don’t care if people are living without a marriage certificate. It’s just about people, in some way, saying to each other, ‘I commit to you. I will help you in this life.’

I do find it strange, doing magazine shoots. Photographers always go, ‘Why don’t you like to have your picture taken? That’s what you do for a living anyway. Just pretend you’re acting. It’s the same thing!’

No movie has ever got enough time. It doesn’t matter how much money you’ve got, and it doesn’t matter how much money you’ve not got. You never finish on time. You’re always up against it and you’re always working up until the end.

I think fear is one of the natural states of most actors, to be honest.

One of the weird things about Hollywood is we’re all imposters; we’re all just glammed up.

My favorite name of a fandom is Benedict Cumberbatch’s – ‘the Cumberbatches’ is just the best name.

I also really liked playing Mr. Tumnus in ‘Narnia’. I got to play my favorite character in children’s literature, which I loved. You don’t get the chance to do that in other jobs.

I think the most romantic thing you can do is just turn up. Turn up when it’s difficult for you. Travel halfway around the world or just up the road. Whatever it is, just be there.

As I get older, I want to do more films for kids because they’re the best audience around. Just putting a smile on a kid’s face is the best thing.

I always believed that I never wanted to be an actor. I only did it because I was allowed to do it and I had to do something.

I’ve played a lot of very posh, sort of noble or aristocratic English people, which is nothing like what I am, so I feel that there is quite a lot distance there and have played a little bit far away from myself.

I play football once or twice a week. I eat pretty healthy. I’m in fairly good shape most of the time.

Nobody can be whatever they want to be. No kid can do whatever they want to do. It’s a total lie. But they have the right to try and do whatever they want to do. That’s their right, to aim to do whatever they want to do.

I like playing sport, and I like doing physical stuff. I like hiking and I like climbing and I like playing sport. I do a lot. But I don’t like the term ‘exercising.’ I feel like with sport, you’re playing games. But with exercise, you’re literally just trying to stop yourself from dying too young. It’s weird.

I like reading about the past. I’m definitely not a history buff, but I do read a bit of history now and again, and to do that for work is really exciting.

I considered becoming a priest very seriously. I wanted to travel the world. By the time I turned 16, I realized I was only in it for selfish reasons. And, more importantly, I didn’t want to sacrifice the ladies!

Until I’m on the set of a film, to me it’s still not for real.

The funny thing is, I’ve never really hurt myself in an action movie. I’ve done ‘Wanted,’ ‘X-Men,’ ‘Welcome To The Punch,’ even ‘Trance’ to a certain extent has little bits of action and stuff, but I’ve never really hurt myself at all – not even like a sprained ankle.

I like cooking, but I don’t think I could be a chef. Everyone from the ground up does terrible hours, whether you’ve just walked in off the street and you’ve got no experience, to whether you’re the head chef. You can work 14 or 15-hour days. It’s really, really intense.

I did undergo hypnotherapy, and it didn’t work! The guy couldn’t put me under. I was very disappointed. I was very keen to be suggested, to have somebody tell me to run naked or cluck like a chicken or whatever, but it didn’t work for me, I’m afraid.

Shooting films in Britain is always difficult, because we’ve never got enough money to make them.

My grandmother would take me to the cinema quite a lot. She’d take me with her and sometimes she’d sneak my sister in, and then we’d sometimes just sit and watch the movie again.

Our intellect, our awareness, and our consciousness is the most powerful form of life on this planet. It’s totally worthwhile. If our animal instincts stopped, we would die. We don’t think about it, but if your consciousness were responsible for all of your bodily functions, you would die.

I really liked ‘Starter For Ten’ because I grew up watching 1980s teen films like ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’ and ‘The Breakfast Club’ and I’ve always wanted to play the underdog lead hero in a 1980s-inspired film.