2 H&H Series, Thursday June 2, 2011 Interview with Marianne Gray James McAvoy is a marvel when it comes to Crouch End star takes us back to beginnings of character created by Patrick Stewart in latest X-Men film n Set in the 60s ... James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier, left, with Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto James McAvoy is one of ent suit,” he says, in his soft private life although he brief- McAvoy says he was at- Britain’s most unpredict- Scottish accent. “The film is ly forgets, saying that since tracted to being cast as an X- able actors. A reticent set in the 1960s, in the Cold I can’t say I did three months they had their baby boy, he is Man because it was a role »Hollywood star, he flips War, when there is a loom- rethinking his working life a about a man finding his pur- seamlessly between block- ing war between the U.S. and bit. pose in a world full of preju- busting studio films like the Soviet Union. of intense Ninja training like “We are very private peo- dice – will the mutants be ac- Wanted, estimated $65mil- ple and luckily ‘fame’ has cepted by humanity? lion budget and with Angeli- Peaceful revolutionary some of them did to get their never actually really wor- “A key element of the film na Jolie and lots of guns, to ried me,” he says. “Since I is about people (mutants) intellectually-moving inde- “Charles is a mutant and got ‘put on the map’, I’ve been who feel like outsiders and pendent dramas like The his mission and purpose in power movements recognised in the street want to be normal.’ Last Station, about the Leo life is to find other mutants about 10 times only! I don’t Directed by Briton Mat- Tolstoy’s final year in which and help them. He’s a peace- think, frankly, I’ll get to the thew Vaughn (Layer Cake/ he plays the Russian writer’s ful revolutionary, leading a I used to watch it on Live And imagining he was dreadfully point where people run Stardust/Kick-Ass), the idealistic aide. Now, his lat- worldwide movement of mu- Kicking, the TV show for constipated.) across freeways to take a pic- script was co-written by est role is in the Marvel tants. kids – and I’ve seen the two Like many people, I first ture of me, as they have done American producer Bryan Comics’ X-Men series. This time round, he’s a bit X-Men films,” McAvoy tells became aware of the refresh- for some of my female co- Singer, who helmed the first In this new episode, First more fun and less Zen-like. me. “For this film, being a ingly level-headed McAvoy stars.” He means Angelina two X-Men films, Vaughn Class, McAvoy plays the lead He hasn’t grown into the prequel, the most important in 2004 in Channel 4’s Shame- Jolie from Wanted and Keira and his screenwriting part- Charles Xavier, a gifted wise old man Sir Patrick thing for me was to tell a good less. He co-starred as lovers Knightley from Atonement. ner Jane Goldman, McAvoy’s young Oxford graduate in portrayed. story and be true to the spir- with his (now) wife, one our Blue-eyed and boyishly Hampstead Garden Suburb genetics who is the world’s We wanted to go the oppo- it.” leading actress Anne-Marie good-looking, he was born neighbour. She admits that, most powerful telepath – the site way with him but we Which, with his power to Duff, 40, who is currently on north of the border in Port although she couldn’t stick role Patrick Stewart made couldn’t make him a bad guy. control magnetism by press- stage at the Old Vic in Ter- Glasgow in 1979, the son of a her oar in for McAvoy, she his own in the previous So we’ve made him sort of ing his fingers to his temples ence Rattigan’s Cause Cele- psychiatric nurse and a certainly was in on conver- films. amoral. and concentrating hard, bre. builder. sations about the casting. “As this is a prequel, there “I’ve been aware of the Charles does. His parents split when he “James came up with some was no point in playing the Marvel comic book story “This temple inspiration Clutch of awards was seven and he and his sis- wonderful ideas about his same character in a differ- since I was about 12 because came after I’d seen what eve- ter Joy, a singer and actress, character because he had rybody else was doing to Now 32, McAvoy went on to went to live with their grand- star in the most diverse of such a good handle on physicalise their power,” he parents. Charles,” she comments with jokes. “I can’t say I did three productions including Atone- The acting started as part ment, The Last King Of Scot- a knowing smile. months of intense Ninja of youth theatre and then the X-Men : First Class also training like some of them land and Chronicles Of Nar- Royal Scottish Academy of nia as the faun, Mr Tumnus. stars Kevin Bacon, Mad did to get their power move- Music and Drama and the Men’s January Jones, Jenni- ments. I’m afraid mine is His mantelpiece at their first big break was in 2000 in home in Crouch End must be fer Lawrence (Winter’s more Carphone Warehouse, the Steven Spielberg-pro- Bone), Oliver Platt (Frost/ less Ninja!” he laughs, groaning from all the awards duced miniseries Band Of he’s won here and abroad. Nixon) and Rose Bryne putting his fingers to his Brothers. (Knowing). forehead. (Michael Fass- Notoriously media-shy and His career has spanned bender who plays Charles apparently unaffected by film, television and theatre, n X-Men : First Class (12A) is Charles’s friend and fellow fame, he somehow seems to most recently in Three Days in cinemas now. For the mutant says he got his depic- have escaped the clutches of Of Rain in 2009 at the Apollo Ham&High’s review by tion of manifesting his power celebrity culture. He and his Shaftesbury Avenue playing Michael Joyce, turn to page n McAvoy’s wife Anne-Marie Duff, with whom he has a baby son not via the Ninja route but by wife never talk about their a father and son double role . 7. The hard lessons learned through suffering from Parkinson’s Disease are expressed in the work of Hampstead conceptual artist Conceptual artist Ronnie his illness has irrevocably the base of opportunities ade ago, is gaining popular- taking responsibility is an Shahmoon links his prodi- shaped his character and from which to power up and ity in London’s art world essential component of hap- gious creativity to the Par- “taught me many hard but connect from. It is a piece and beyond. piness – reliant upon accept- kinson’s Disease he was di- vital lessons”. about engaging with life.” “Art has the ability to stir ing our own illusions. His agnosed with aged 29. It has forced him to exam- The foreground consists emotions deep within us piece Exit Strategy address- The Hampstead-based 40- ine his perspectives on life, of the actual plugs and sock- and bring them to the sur- es the need to keep in touch year-old recently appeared which he often expresses as ets which represent choices face so that we may experi- with reality by exiting a on BBC2 talent programme artistic works. made, depending on wheth- ence them,” he says. bubble of illusion. Show Me The Monet, vying er they are switched on. “Each art piece has a dif- for a coveted exhibition slot Engaging with life “Those switched on rep- ferent impact on every ob- Strength at the Royal College of Art. His piece, Connectivity, resent how we animate our server because the art not Would you describe Although he failed to made from household plugs lives.” From an autobio- only expresses itself but your work as conceptual? make the final cut, he tells and power sockets, “is fun- graphical perspective, helps the observer to ex- “Yes, I think so. My main Gabriella White about the damentally about power, Shahmoon’s physical con- press his or her feelings to- strength is concepts and inspiration behind his large connections and decision- nections have been affected wards it.” simplifying them, exposing artworks featuring plugs making”. by his disease. Shahmoon believes every the obvious flaws, which are and switches. “The array of sockets in The artist, who started individual can change their so obvious we overlook n Artist Ronnie Shahmoon Ronnie Shahmoon claims the background expresses with pencil drawings a dec- experience of life and that them.” Thursday June 2, 2011, H&H Series 3 Festival with Rhiannon Edwards Ray of light shines on centre stage for Davies and friends Kinks frontman talks about curating the 2011 Meltdown Success has taken Ray Davies all over the world, yet he always ends up not Both Terry »far from Muswell Hill. “I al- ways gravitate to where I grew up. I think it is because Jones and of the light. In Hampstead, Highgate and Muswell Hill Michael Palin the light is different because of the hills. As a painter it is live in the area a great place to be,” says the musician. “Britain has al- ways stuck with me. There’s and as something special about this country that draws me Pythons are back.” This gravitational pull back to the corner of the very British – country where he was born in 1944, along with the label I thought of ‘ultimate Britishness’ that many attribute to Davies, they’d be a seems to be at the centre of his being.