McAvoy's a Wanted man

WHEN you meet an actor like James McAvoy for the first time, someone who has been elevated to the ranks of Hollywood's next big thing almost overnight, you don't expect his first words to be an apology.

"When we were in the elevator, you let me go first and I felt terrible, because usually, in a daft way, I let the lady go first. It was the most awkward moment in my life," he confesses, laughing.

The 29-year-old Scot genuinely seems concerned by the momentary lapse in his chivalrous behaviour. However, reassured that all is well, it is time to get down to the important business of discussing his new movie, Wanted.

Already, the diminutive actor has a string of critically-acclaimed films to his name, as well as a BAFTA nomination earlier this year for Atonement. Despite this he remains as modest and down-to-earth as he was when he first came to the attention of the public four years ago in Channel 4's Shameless.

It's been well documented he lives in a modest London flat with actress wife Anne-Marie Duff, drives a ten-year-old Nissan Micra and doesn't really like flashy awards ceremonies. He even admits he was astounded when the studio cast "somebody like me" as the lead – an action hero – in Wanted.

"It was before Last King Of Scotland had even really hit and Atonement hadn't come out," he explains. "Nobody in Hollywood really knew who I was. I just thought that they were being really brave casting somebody who isn't usual action hero fodder and thought, 'Well, they're trying to do something different'."

McAvoy plays Wesley Gibson, an average American office worker who is totally disillusioned with life. He hates his job and doesn't even care that his best mate is sleeping with his girlfriend.

But his life changes forever when feisty Fox (Angelina Jolie) reveals his long-lost father has been killed while working as an assassin for her secret organisation The Fraternity – and recruits him to avenge his father's death.

Cue a Matrix-style montage as Wes trains to be a fearless killer.

McAvoy is the first to admit that action films are not really his thing, but reveals it was Russian director Timur Bekmambetov's previous work – vampire films Nightwatch and Daywatch – that drew him to the role.

"His tone and character and directorial instincts really elevated the films and made them something I hadn't seen before.

"I also responded to the fact that Wanted was incredibly violent – I've not seen an action movie or a superhero movie in a long time which is just for adults – and that was exciting. It's an incredible change of pace and style and everything for me. When I look for something to do I ask myself, 'Does it challenge me? Does it require a new acting style? Is it a new genre?' And this satisfied all those things."

Once on board, the actor, who played the scrawny bare-chested fawn Mr Tumnus in the first Narnia film, had to hit the gym to be fit enough for his fight scenes. "I'd rather eat dog pooh than go to the gym so the training was a big change for me," he admits.

"By the fifth week into filming I was doing stunts for 12 hours a day and then going to the gym for 90 minutes. I just thought, 'There's no way I can stick this', but my trainer really forced me for the next three months and I'm glad he did because I wouldn't have been able to get through this film if I hadn't been fit."

Then came the tricky business of performing the stunts. One of the first things Wesley is taught by Fox is how to jump onto a moving train and then leap over a bridge.

"That was my favourite stunt," says McAvoy. "I had a stunt double of course, who did the dangerous things and makes me look incredibly good, but jumping over the bridge was all me and it was incredibly cool to do."

Wes also has to endure some graphic beatings from the other members of the Fraternity to whip him into shape.

"The best part is selling someone else's hit and trying to make their punch look good. And the person who does it better than anybody else is Harrison Ford.

"In Indiana Jones, he always gets punched really well. And it's not the person throwing the punch that makes it look good, it's him that makes it look good."

So had McAvoy been watching the old Indy film to prepare for Wanted? "Totally. For my entire life I've been in preparation for getting punched."

Throughout filming in Chicago, Prague and Romania, McAvoy had to work very closely with Mrs Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie. Which brings us to the scene where they kiss as part of Wesley's revenge on his two-timing girlfriend.

"Ach, it's the same as always, you know what I mean" says McAvoy, looking embarrassed. "You're worried and you're nervous and tense and there's loads of people looking and you regret having that cigarette before the last take and the coffee and the tuna sandwich you've just eaten."

Wanted is on general release