James McAvoy is a blue-eyed Scot who became a Hollywood leading man after his strong performance opposite Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland (2006). A graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (2001), McAvoy's first big break came in the Steven Spielberg miniseries Band of Brothers (2001). His turn as a lovable thief in the BBC comedy series Shameless (2004-05) earned rave reviews and helped pave the way for bigger roles in bigger projects. His other films include The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005, based on the books by C.S. Lewis); Penelope (2006, starring Christina Ricci); Atonement (2007, with Keira Knightley); Becoming Jane (2007, starring Anne Hathaway as novelist Jane Austen); Wanted (2008, with Angelina Jolie); The Last Station (2009, starring Christopher Plummer as novelist Leo Tolstoy; and The Conspirator (2011, directed by Robert Redford).

Extra credit: Some sources list his birthday as 1 January, some as 21 April.