Quotes by James McAvoy

I was talking to one of my aunties at Christmas and she said she didnt think it was ever in my nature to go against the grain, that I was always a good boy. I think she was right - I did always want to be good.

At the heart of every really good Christmas movie is the threat, I suppose, to Christmas. Something is wrong with Christmas, in all of these movies. In The Polar Express, theres a kid that doesnt really believe, and thats the threat to Christmas. In Santa Claus: The Movie, jealousy and greed are threatening to overrun his Christmas.

I dont know if anybodys ever ready for another award season. Its kind of like Christmas.

I love Christmas. I never used to. I didnt 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.

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

Ive spent a long time giving people the benefit of the doubt, and Im tired of it.

Distance is a bad excuse for not having a good relationship with somebody. Its the determination to keep it going or let it fall by the wayside thats the real reason that the relationships continue.

If you dont have the good fortune to work a lot then you take any job you get offered, whether its a good job, fun job, a bad job, horrible job, whatever, you just take what you need to take. But Im lucky in that - at the moment anyway and hopefully forever, but who knows - I get the chance to pick jobs for the kick of it and the fun.

When I started acting, I thought if I got one or two jobs a year Id be lucky. So yeah, my career has gone so much farther than I ever suspected it would, and as such I feel lucky for everything I get. I feel thankful and grateful.

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

Fear is really powerful its really useful to me.

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

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 didnt want to sacrifice the ladies!

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

Im probably more dangerous in a car than I am on a motorbike; on a bike Im very mindful of the fact that if you make a mistake, youre dead.

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

Distance is a bad excuse for not having a good relationship with somebody. Its the determination to keep it going or let it fall by the wayside thats the real reason that the relationships continue.

Id like to keep work work and life life. It means youve got your life to come back to, somewhere to come home to at night that isnt invaded by your day.