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AGE 27

HOMETOWN Glasgow, Scotland

WHY Best known as the meek faun Mr. Tumnus in The Chronicles of Narnia, McAvoy trots back onto screens in a far more sordid affair. In The Last King of Scotland, he plays an audacious doctor who mixes it up with Ugandan tyrant Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker) — and sexes it up with Gillian Anderson and Kerry Washington. In other words, he's definitely not in Narnia anymore. ''I hope people don't come expecting another cute, self-deprecating performance,'' he chuckles. ''Because they'll be sorely disappointed.''

SCOT FREE Such a shift was no sweat for the chipper Glaswegian, who spent three years at drama school in his hometown. ''It gave me a chance to play a million different roles,'' he says in a brogue thick as deep-fried haggis. ''It taught me a hell of a lot.''

BROTHERLY LOVE His big break came shortly after he moved to London in 2000 and was cast as a grunt in HBO's Band of Brothers. ''That gave me a bit of money to play around with,'' he says. ''I had been living on a grand a year, so I thought, If I never work again, I can make this last a good couple of years!''

NEXT 2007 will bring more lady-killing: Atonement with Keira Knightley, Becoming Jane with Anne Hathaway, and Penelope with Reese Witherspoon. There's also October's coming-of-age tale Starter for Ten. But, alas, no more Narnia. ''I'm gutted about that," he sighs. "Never mind — they can go have fun.''


Posted Aug 11, 2006 | Published in issue #891-892 Aug 18, 2006 | Order Article Reprints