I was just looking online for answers to Shirl's questions about James, and I came across this great interview from a few years ago: image

MY LONDON BY JAMES MCAVOY

by The Evening Standard - March 4th 2005
ALISTAIR DUNCAN

Where do you live and why? In Islington. It's got a nice mix of people - they're not all white middleclass - and an excellent selection of bars and restaurants.

How long have you lived there? I moved there at the beginning of last year. I left Glasgow , where I grew up, in 2000 to live in the East End .

Who is in your secret address book? Top of the list is Da Rocco, 73 Highbury Park, N5. It's the finest Italian deli I've been to. The Clocktower shop in Crouch End is a great vegetable shop, as is the organic butcher there. A lot of my life revolves around food.

What is your earliest London memory? Coming to London aged three or four with my mother. We were staying in a flat belonging to a friend who was a vet and I recall thinking how weird it was that we were surrounded by rabbits 300ft above the ground.

What do you miss most when you' re out of London? London has so much more cultural stuff than the rest of Britain put together. It's not great for the rest of the country, but it's great if you're living here. Galleries like the Tate are superb. You can never get bored in London .

What are your favourite home comforts? Cooking at home. A typical comfort meal would be onions, garlic, chilli and prawns fried in olive oil with a passata and coriander, all mixed with linguine.

What would you do if you were Mayor for the day? Grant every citizen a free meal from a restaurant of their choice. People don't enjoy really good food enough in this city. They also don't enjoy the ceremonial aspects of restaurants - such as using chopsticks, which makes the process of eating harder but also more enjoyable.

What is your life philosophy? It's all about respect: you should respect the world and people around you and expect it back in return.

What were the last books you bought? Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks, which is fantastic. I've read it twice. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is next on my list.

What was the last CD you bought? The Garden State soundtrack. It's eclectic, but quirky and indie, with bands such as Coldplay on it.

Do you have a favourite pub? The Bank of Friendship in Highbury. I love the name and the atmosphere: it's an Irish pub and you see the same faces every night.

What are your current projects? I'm in a play at the Royal Court, and I'm due to film The Last King of Scotland in Uganda and do a television production of Macbeth.

What have been your most memorable London meals? Eating pizza in La Porchetta on Stroud Green Road in Finsbury Park: it was the first time I'd had pizza like the ones you get in Italy. Also, one of the best curries ever at the Gaylord in in Mortimer Street, W1.

How do you get around town? On a Piaggio Vespa. I've come off it about five times, but not in the past year or so. I must be getting better.

What are your extravagances? DVDs (the last one was St Elmo's Fire - an Eighties classic) and camping gear. I'm obsessed with equipping myself even though I don't go camping often. I'm hoping to go camping in Uganda.

What advice would you give to a tourist? Definitely get a Lonely Planet or a Rough Guide: if you just wander around, you'll miss so much. They give you a good overview and you'll have a great time.

What was the last play you saw in London and did you enjoy it? It was The Producers. I loved it. It was Nathan Lane's last performance, and I was glad to catch it while he was in it.

What do you listen to on your iPod? The iPod has really changed things. You can listen to whatever you want, wherever you want. I'm still listening to Damien Rice. And comedian Bill Hicks keeps me going.

What items are in your spring wardrobe? I've just discovered how much I love Pringle. I got a light blue top from there recently. I also bought a black velvet suit from Burberry not so long ago.

Which aftershave do you wear? The same one I wore when I was 16: Fahrenheit by Christian Dior.

Where were the last three places you went on holiday? Sydney, New Zealand and the Lake District. I'd been filming in New Zealand and had two months off, so I went on an Antipodean adventure. I ate the best red snapper I've ever had in Sydney, but the highlight was a four-day hike along the Routeburn Track in New Zealand .

James McAvoy is currently appearing in Breathing Corpses at the Royal Court (020 7565 5000; www.royalcourttheatre.com)

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