James McAvoy’s career in film and TV has been remarkable up until now.
The actor is currently starring in new horror flick Speak No Evil, but his repertoire is filled with remarkable character performances which have cemented his position as an actor of a generation.
However, it may be hard to imagine, but James actually briefly didn’t fancy the limelight whatsoever, and instead was hoping to get into something a little more... modest.
Speaking to The Guardian back in 2022, James spoke about his role in His Dark Materials, and said that he felt drawn to it as the central message resonated with him: “The fight against oppressive moralistic institutions, is something I found quite fascinating.”
He then admitted that as a teenager, he’d “fleetingly” considered becoming a priest and a missionary, saying: “It was an avenue to travel, I thought.
“But then it seemed like it was an absolute ball-ache to get ordained. And that there were easier ways to get out and about. Then, of course, I ended up going to drama school – and didn’t leave Glasgow for three years!”
However, despite his resistance to the ‘ball-ache’ of getting ordained, he valued the grit of his time in drama school, saying: “Drama school has been the single most all-encompassing experience of my life, probably, to this point.”
We’re glad he chose the limelight!
Speak No Evil is out in cinemas across the UK now.