James McAvoy on his earliest film memories and future directing hopes: ‘I was offered a lot of working class Scottish dramas’

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James McAvoy has consistently delivered strong performances since he started acting in the late 1990s. He’s impressed audiences in a variety of roles, including those in films like The Chronicles of Narnia, Atonement, Split, and the X-Men movies.

For his new movie, California Schemin’, the Scottish actor is doing something different: he’s not only starring in a fun supporting role, but he’s also directing the film.

This movie shares the incredible true story of Scottish rap artists Silibil N’ Brains. To get their big break in the early 2000s, they pretended to be American to convince record labels to sign them.

In celebration of the release, TopMob interviewed James McAvoy for our ‘Film Flashbacks’ series. They talked about his earliest movie memories, what sparked his interest in directing, and what he plans for future directing projects.

You can check out the full interview below.

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What’s the first thing you remember about watching movies – what was it like discovering film as a kid?

You know, thinking back to my very first movie experience, it wasn’t some highbrow art film at all – quite the opposite, actually! I remember going to a Saturday morning film club as a kid in Ashton Lane, Glasgow. Parents would drop us off and let us run wild. It wasn’t about the films themselves – I think we were watching something like ‘Digby, the Biggest Dog on Earth’ – it was the experience. Total chaos! A bag of sweets, kids fighting, hide and seek… just pure, joyful mayhem. That’s really my earliest memory of going to the movies.

I think the first movie I really remember seeing was James Cameron’s The Terminator. I was around five years old, watching it with my sister, and that’s a really strong early movie memory for me. But surprisingly, it was actually eighties comedies that had the biggest impact on me. I used to watch a lot of them with my grandparents – my grandma, great-grandma, and grandpa.

This is your debut as a director. Can you recall when you first realized what film directors actually do?

Honestly, no, I haven’t let it affect me. As an actor, I’ve really tried to avoid becoming jaded. I hear a lot of people say they’ve lost their enjoyment of movies, and I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen to me.

I’ve intentionally avoided getting too caught up in the technical details and formal learning, even though I’ve actually picked up a lot of knowledge. I didn’t formally study filmmaking, and I think that served me well as a director. You might disagree after seeing the film, but I was incredibly prepared. When you’re making a low-budget independent movie, thorough preparation is essential – otherwise, the results will likely suffer or you’ll miss important chances.

I somehow managed to navigate the process, even though I felt like I could have been better prepared. I’ve realized that we sometimes treat filmmaking like the ultimate achievement, almost putting it on a pedestal. But I think that’s backwards. It’s not about creating a perfect film; it’s about telling a compelling story, and that’s what I’m focused on now.

You can share these ideas through many different mediums – on the radio, television, or even just talking to someone directly. Creating a film isn’t necessary. Ultimately, we’re focused on storytelling, and that’s what I’m dedicated to learning. I’m more interested in the art of telling stories than in the technical aspects of filmmaking.

Your first acting role was in the film The Near Room in 1995. Can you share what you recall about being on a film set for the first time?

It was completely overwhelming. I had absolutely no acting experience – I’d never been involved in any drama clubs or theatre groups, not even as a kid. And suddenly, there I was on a film set dealing with such a serious and difficult subject – child prostitution and pornography – in Glasgow. It felt bizarre being told to just act when I’d never acted a day in my life, you know?

When they yelled ‘action,’ I just instinctively knew what to do – it was amazing. I don’t think my performance in that movie was very strong, but I wouldn’t be an actor at all if it weren’t for David Hayman. He’s the director, an actor himself, a producer, and a really generous person – a true Renaissance man in Scotland.

So, getting into the headspace for the role. On the first day, I was playing a character obsessed with Muhammad Ali and had to physically hit the actor Adrian Dunbar. Because I had no acting experience, I didn’t know how to fake a punch and accidentally hit him for real. It wasn’t a knockout, but I definitely made contact.

Looking back at the first ten years of your career, what projects or films stand out as key moments where you felt confident in your abilities and thought, ‘Now I’ve really figured things out’?

It’s a delicate situation, really. The moment you start feeling too comfortable, you might lose your drive. You have to remember that work isn’t done at home—it’s something you go out and do. You leave your personal life behind when you go to work.

I probably started to feel a little secure in my career around age 26 or 27, after the films Wanted and Atonement came out. It wasn’t complete security, but I felt like I had a firm footing and something to hold onto. I knew things could still change, though – like being prepared for an earthquake, you’re stable for now, but things could shift again.

I’m gradually becoming more comfortable performing, especially when I feel well-suited for the role. However, that comfort might actually indicate it’s time for me to move on to something new.

Is that part of the reason why you thought now was the time to try your hand at directing?

Absolutely, a hundred percent.

 When did you start thinking that directing was something that you wanted to try?

When I was starting out, I worked with a few directors who were new to the job. It was pretty obvious, even to someone inexperienced like me, that things weren’t always going smoothly. I don’t want to say they were mistakes, because art is subjective, but there were definitely choices made that I questioned. Or moments where a really good opportunity slipped by without being taken.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you understand something, and I definitely felt that way. I started believing I could direct, even back when I was 16 and on set. I’d find myself questioning other people’s choices – like where they placed the camera – and thinking I knew better. It’s surprisingly simple to spot perceived mistakes in others and assume you have all the answers.

It’s wonderful when you collaborate with someone truly talented, and the result feels incredible – the show or movie is fantastic, almost magical. You feel like you’ve created something special, but it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how it happened. It’s easy to copy someone who isn’t skilled, but trying to learn from someone brilliant is much more challenging, and it made me stop and think.

I probably should have started directing earlier, maybe in my thirties. But my acting career was going well and I was making good money, and directing hasn’t brought in much income yet, so it was easy to put it off. However, after thirty years as an actor, I feel like I need to explore directing, and I can’t see myself only acting for the rest of my life.

Even if I’m not working as a director, I feel like I need to have another project or business going on, something else to focus on besides my career.

You’ve worked on a variety of films throughout your career – everything from large franchise movies to smaller independent projects. As you move into directing, are you hoping to maintain that same range? Would you be open to directing a major film franchise, for instance?

It’s not a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have a wide range of opportunities to showcase different skills as an actor, and I definitely hope to continue having that freedom throughout my career – it’s something many actors don’t get.

I’m eager to explore a variety of roles and genres. Early in my directing career, I was mostly offered gritty, Scottish dramas, which was a bit ironic since I haven’t often played characters who are working-class Scots – maybe only four times throughout my career.

It’s frustrating, honestly. It feels like the industry quickly boxes you in. I keep getting offered roles playing working-class Scots, usually characters struggling with addiction or just generally down on their luck. Now that I’ve done a musical biopic about a working-class Scot, I worry that’s all I’ll be offered from now on. It’s like they decide what you are and only see you in that light, you know? They put you in a category and it’s hard to break free.

Throughout my acting career, I’ve avoided falling into a specific typecast, and I hope to achieve the same flexibility as a director. Many of the directors I most respect aren’t limited to one style – they adapt their approach to suit each film.

I don’t think I’ll ever be a director with a really distinctive style that shows up in all of my work. Some directors have a very strong, unique vision – maybe it’s dark and dramatic, or maybe it’s a quirky sense of humor – but that’s just not my approach.

California Schemin’ is now showing in UK cinemas.

Authors

Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona writes about movies for TopMob, covering new releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. He’s been with the site since October 2019, and during that time has interviewed many famous actors and reviewed films of all kinds.

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2026-04-10 16:37