Actor James McAvoy is known for his various movie roles such as his stunt as Professor X in the "X-Men" movies and his role as Victor Frankenstein in the movie of the same title.
But not a lot of people know that James McAvoy actually pretended to be posh in order to get an acting career in Hollywood.
James McAvoy was born in Glasgow, Scotland. At a young age, he attended St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School and at one point he considered becoming a priest, as reported by the Guardian. For the Scotsman, it was a way to explore the world by doing missionary work.
Acting did not come into the picture even after his movie debut in "The Near Room" (1995). After years of being in the industry, McAvoy masked his Glaswegian accent and often fooled directors and producers with his English twist, as reported by Star Magazine. According to the publication, he fooled Director M. Night Shyamalan when he cast him in "Split." The director thought all along that he was English.
For James McAvoy, it was his way in. He confessed that he made a career out of pretending to be a posh Englishman. And no one can blame him because it worked. According to the actor, as long as anyone can play that archetypical role, they can get in.
McAvoy points out what American viewers want. They want to see "Downton Abbey." In addition, he points out that the British Class system is often a challenge for young working class actors. Compare them to privately educated actors like Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch. They were able to rise to stardom fast.
The X-Men actor hopes that art in education is going to be prioritized especially for those underprivileged. There are many who are unable to get a private education and can not afford to get drama or acting work shops. He may not have been able to afford to go to Eton College like Hiddleston, but he was able to make it to the top by faking his accent and style.
Check out how Scottish McAvoy can be, in this video below:
