James McAvoy covers the new issue of Out Magazine to promote The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby. This is the first interview/media piece where someone actually describes what happens in the film, so SPOILERZ if you want to know a major plotpoint: she gets pregnant and they lose the baby and they’re both left reeling. As for the rest of the interview… it’s really good. McAvoy is usually a good interview (as in, he likes to talk), but he’s usually bad with soundbytes and providing cute little pull quotes. I particularly like what he says about Scottish independence – he sounds pretty ambivalent and he’s taking the long view. The vote for independence is being held on Thursday, by the way.
On playing gay roles: “I think actors have always wanted to play those parts. They’re just not so bothered now about what those roles might say about their personal lives. It’s a nice wee sign of the times.”
He’s not an acting snob: “For me, good acting is good acting. Some of the best stage performances I’ve ever seen are a guy standing still and f–king whispering to himself. Some of the best screen performances are Daniel Day-Lewis chewing the f–king scenery. Just because a lot of whispery acting happens on-screen doesn’t mean that it’s all good.”
His friendship with Michael Fassbender on the promotional trail: “There’s only so many times you can say, ‘Come and see this film — it’s great.’ So we’d just mess around for five minutes with each other. You’re sitting in a private helicopter with Michael, flying into São Paulo. Patrick Stewart’s in the back pretending to control it with his mind. What’s not to like?”
The idea of Scottish independence: “I don’t mind staying together, and I don’t mind splitting up, but I don’t really like either of the parties who’ve made arguments. I don’t trust politicians at the moment. Why suddenly believe them now? Whether it turns out bad or good, you can make the best of independence. But pursuing it with a goal to be richer is f–king pointless. We could be [rich] for four years, but then we might not be. That’s what happens. If you look at Ireland, people were willing to fight and die for their f–king independence 100 years ago. Ask any Scotsman who wants independence whether they want to shed blood for it. I don’t think they’d say yes.”
He has no control & that’s fine: “You can’t control your career as an actor. If you could strategize your way to the top, then everybody would be successful and playing the leads in movies where they’re commanding millions of dollars. And they’re not. You can’t. There are better actors than me who are struggling, and there are worse actors than me who are coining it in. Luckily for me, the work has just kept coming.”
“It’s a nice wee sign of the times.” Bless him. And Patrick Stewart in the back of a helicopter, pretending to control it with his mind? YES. From what I’ve heard about the filming of the last X-Men movie, Patrick and Ian McKellen adored Fassbender and McAvoy. I want all four men to be BFFs forever, don’t you?
As for Scottish independence… I don’t have a vote, but I sort of feel the same way as McAvoy. It might be okay, it might be a disaster. Last night, Rachel Maddow said that if the vote goes for independence, David Cameron is going to lose his job. Would that be good or bad news? This is what Groundskeeper Willie had to say about independence:
Photos courtesy of Out Magazine.
So friggin’ hot.
And yes, I want the 4 of them to be bffs forever too!
Those freckled shoulders, swoon. Love him. And love the four BFFs, they sound amazing together.
As a relatively uninformed American, I have been trying to get a handle on the Scottish Independence issue, so it’s nice to hear someone with a calm and reasonable POV. I am dying to see how the vote will go.
I have no idea why, but I’ve become obsessed with this referendum. Here I am, a Canadian living in the U.S., with no stake in the outcome and I’m avidly reading every piece of news on it that I can get my hands on! LOL! I find the story fascinating and I can’t wait to see what the result will be. My understanding is there are 500,000 undecided and it’s too close to call. I wish I could be there just to watch it all unfold.
Me too. I have no relation to Scotland or Britian in general but I read everything I can about the referandum. Pistorius case take me away from it for a while but now I can’t wait.
It seems a bit similar to Quebec, right?
I say that as an American living in Canada LOL
Audrey, we were talking in my book group the other night how it reminds us a bit of Texas. And how we’d be fine if they decided to pack up and secede, lol.
Cora, yes I know exactly what you mean!
@Audrey
It does make me think of Quebec. The last referendum was in 1995 and that one was a real nail biter, too. The result was 51-49.
I think it’s insulting to compare it to Quebec. Quebec is a province, not a country like Scotland. Someone on another site even compared Scotland to Texas! It seems as if people are treating Scotland as if it is nothing but another shire/county instead of a full fledged nation in its own right with a proud and rich history and identity. I imagine the Welsh wouldn’t be too pleased about being compared to a province or state, either.
As much as I adore James, his argument about shedding blood is spurious. Hopefully, these are more civilised times and that’s what the freedom to vote is for! Agreed that you shouldn’t trust any politician.
I hope Scotland gains its independence. Its representation in Westminster is an afterthought at best. I think that everyone wants to keep it in the union because it is an asset, nothing more. And, if you think about it, what country that gained its independence has wanted back in?
Irony of ironies- Bob Geldof, an Irishman from Dublin took to the London streets along with some other celebrities to exhort Scotland to stay in the union.
Quebec is different from most provinces, which is why it comes to mind.
As an immigrant, i can tell you that Quebec pretty much has its own immigration system and criteria. If my husband lived there, i would have had much more paperwork to do. I would need to be approved by both Quebec and the federal government.
Quebec also has its own culture and history.
The two are not identical, of course. But i don’t think it’s madness to compare them
hmmm, I have heard and made the Texas comparison and the reason for that, to use your own words, is that many people there do indeed think of it, right or wrong, as “a full fledged nation in its own right with a proud and rich history and identity.”
@hmmm – I think you’re being a little bit oversensitive. If there’s an international conversation going on about a domestic issue, it makes sense to draw the nearest parallels that illuminate the issue to people in other areas. And it’s not as though the parallel isn’t a strong one here: it’s about self-determination for a section of a population that feels distinct in some way to the rest of that population. That’s not at all insulting; it’s common ground.
I used the Texas analogy myself below: because this is an American site and American contributors might understand the Scottish debate better if they can relate it to something even vaguely similar in their own country.
Some facts about Texas to show that America would lose a lot if Texas left and that one shouldn’t base an opinion of an area off their decidedly crazy elected officials. I mean, not everyone in Toronto smokes crack, right?
“Texas developed a diversified economy and high tech industry in the mid-20th century. As of 2010 it shares the top of the list of the most Fortune 500 companies with California at 57. With a growing base of industry, the state leads in many industries, including agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences. Texas has led the nation in export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product.
The state’s refineries can process 4.6 million barrels (730,000 m3) of oil a day. The Baytown Refinery in the Houston area is the largest refinery in America. Texas also leads in natural gas production, producing one-fourth of the nation’s supply.
The state is a leader in renewable energy commercialisation; it produces the most wind power in the nation. The Roscoe Wind Farm in Roscoe, Texas, is the world’s largest wind farm as of October 2009 with a 781.5 megawatt (MW) capacity. “
God, he’s lovely.
He’s just too much goodness all into one gorgeous, talented man.
James McAvoy is EVERYTHING!
He was on EW radio last week and said he’s hoping to go bald/shaved head in XMen Apocalypse. I’m sure even his scalp is lovely. Sigh…
He is everything indeed! hot, inteligent, great actor. sigh, I love him so…
If Scotland votes for independence then David Cameron will keep his job forever and ever, since the English vote mainly for his party and the Scots overwhelmingly for his opposition. Personally, since the UK is essentially “London & everywhere else” I wouldn’t mind us cutting Scotland loose to sink into the sea under the leadership of a man who grows obese whilst ever more of his people need food banks to survive, but since his first task in power would be to default on Scotland’s share of the national debt, I am torn.
Either way, I would vote for more James McAvoy – it’s just a shame that the trailer for this new film left me so underwhelmed.
Only two Labour governments since 1945 have relied on Scottish MPs for their majorities. I think this is another scare point in the long list of scare points that have been made by both sides in this debate. As happens in most political debates!
I’d be more worried about them moving the nuclear weaponry since the ‘ayes’ have said that they are going to ban them all from the country. That’s quite a few missiles that they’ll have to move, and that’s always a risky enterprise. Not to mention the nuclear subs that NATO have docked in Scotland. Which if they don’t bend on that, might keep a independent Scotland out of NATO and the EU. We’ll see in a few days.
Keep the subs and nukes and charge England exorbitant fees to house them. Either they’ll pay up, in which case Scotland wins, or they’ll remove them, in which case Scotland wins.
I don’t like the turtleneck or the tank top, but I love james so is forgiven. They can be removed.
Completely on-board with you there. I hate #1 and #4 because of the shirts, but the man does have presence.
ETA: they’ve edited out photos and the sequence has changed.
I don’t think McKellan and Stewart met Fassbender until Comic Con. At which time McKellan hit on him, on stage, making him blush. It was glorious.
Those four are dynamite.
Who wouldn’t hit on Fassbender? It was great!
I’m not a Scott but I do hope they vote yes. No matter what westminster tries to tell them about unity and being, they are not treated equally by british people IMO and experience. For example when a Scottish man losses in sports, he’s called Scottish but when he wins he’s called british. It happened with Andy Murray. IMO Scotland deserves better then to be treated like a little brother by it’s older, more superior England when in fact they should be equal partners, but they are n not in reality.
I’m a massive tennis fan and especially support AM, I’m not aware of him being called Scottish only when he loses. Unless you are talking about the media, most of which doesn’t represent the people.
The divide isn’t between England and Scotland, it’s between London and the rest of the UK. The North/South divide is very obvious during this time of austerity, anywhere north Watford Gap as they say.
What a daft comment – sport is not important in this vote! Agree that England and Scotland are not equal.
Currently Scotland has free university places for Scots and free prescriptions for medication. Not so in England. If they go they will soon find out that their freebies will not last long and Alex Salmond has lead them a merry dance into debt.
Why do you think they’ll end up in debt? They have the oil refineries, and they won’t need to pay for any wars. No reason why they’d lose free uni places and medications.
I’ve seen McAvoy asked about Scottish independence a few times now. And I think he’s been clearer on other occasions. He’s just saying vote YES if you feel Scottish rather than British and would like to formalise that; vote NO if you feel both British and Scottish and would like it to stay that way. He’s just asking people to vote with their hearts and not listen to the many party political points being made. I think he’s probably right to say that.
Let’s say it was Texas. Should Texans vote to secede on their feelings about an independent Texas or as a way to get rid of the Democrats for good? Because probably, an opponent to the Republicans would emerge in an independent Texas anyway.
Or at least, that’s what I think he means!
He has made the most sense of any actor I’ve heard on the topic. Can non-Texans vote in this Texas question?
NO!
Don’t say that in a conversation supporting a NO vote with right-of-centre English contributors! They are NOT happy that they don’t have a say!
But yes; he’s making a vital point. People shouldn’t be voting YES on the basis of the SNP party’s policies. Who’s to say they’d be in power to implement them after a national election following independence?
Having said all that, though, I’d love to be rid of Westminster. Can my little village secede, please?
John Oliver said something similar on his show this week. He also echoed McAvoy in his criticism of the two sides representing the issue.
This. I know he tries to avoid stating his actual vote but from everything I’ve heard so far I deduce that he’s a reluctant No voter. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part, but what he said is congruent with what my Scottish friends in the No fraction think. They all dislike Westminster (who in their right mind doesn’t?) but don’t trust Salmond and his promises either.
But yes, hot pics of Mr James McAvoy! Could that top be any tighter?
@ichsi
I agree. It seems obvious from this interview that McAvoy will be voting ‘No’, but just doesn’t want to come out and say so explicitly.
@Etheldreda and Ichsi. James cannot vote on this referendum as he doesn’t live in Scottland. Only Scottish residents can vote. McAvoy Lives in London.
Yeah, I know he can’t vote so I should have phrased my comment differently. What I meant to say is that McEvoy clearly favours the ‘No’ side, but for some reason he seems unwilling to nail his colours to the mast.
I am all for a country taking its destiny into its own hands, regardless of the outcome. Nowadays, the fearmongers among us prevail as if there could only be one outcome.
ETA: Huh? This landed elsewhere. Was in response to @old prude.
Ah, McAvoy in the morning. Yummy! And he comes across as thoughtful and measured, all the better.
James – I have something for you that you won’t be abivalent about.
@mimif – thanks for the great tip. my cardboard McAvoy quite enjoyed the libations and needless to say, I practically shredded him.
I’m anxious about this vote. If it goes the yes way it will impact the whole of the UK and likely not in a good way. I think division is a step back and can cause bad feelings and conflict, we can see this happening already. Our small island needs to stay united.
If Scots vote for Independence, does that mean they no longer have to pay taxes to the Royals? I read that they still want to keep The Queen in some way — just curious what it all means?
@Talie, Canada has been independent from Britan for over 100 years but the Queen remains a symbolic head of state. She costs us very little, and even as the staunch anti-monarchist that I am I acknowledge she is cheaper than having a President. The Queen is the figure head, our Prime Minister has the power. t’s a little hard to explain without getting into a ton of political science but yes she could still be their “Queen” without receiving much financial support from them.
As an Irish girl, love the reference to our struggle for independence – it often gets overlooked so props for that! Neat little answer too, he’s pretty much hit the nail on the head in my opinion. Is this man ever not charming?!
Patrick Stewart controlling a helicopter with his mind? I don’t think I’ve been so full of fangirl squee since Nathan Fillion casually mentioned going to Joss Whedon’s house to play Pictionary….
As an American I also have no stake in the vote obviously but as someone who has Scottish and British ancestry I’m dying to see the outcome and how it’s going to play out! And that would have been one hell of a helicopter ride!
As a Scot living in Scotland with an English husband it is not easy living through the referendum. The campaign has become very nasty with families, friends and neighbours falling out over it. I can’t wait for the result to come in so we know one way or the other. If the “No’s” win I think it will be awful here for a long time, the “Yes’s” won’t take that well at all.
Smart, funny and sexy… Could he be more perfect? *sigh*
This man is still hotness on a stick. Love him and his wife to pieces.
They are truly adorable.
um, I read carelessly and was into the spoiler before I knew it. . . f*ck.
Love him!!