Happy Birthday, James McAvoy!

Today, we're celebrating the 33rd birthday of actor James McAvoy. A native of Scotland, McAvoy made his acting debut in the 1995 film The Near Room before spending most of his time making appearances in TV series and made-for-TV movies through the late 1990s and early 2000s. It wasn't until his starring role opposite eventual Oscar winner Forest Whitaker in 2006's The Last King of Scotland that McAvoy started to rise out of obscurity. He truly burst onto the scene in 2007's Atonement opposite Keira Knightley and then again in 2008's Wanted opposite Angelina Jolie. Most recently, audiences have seen McAvoy in 2011's X-Men: First Class as Charles Xavier, and they'll next see him in the 2012 films Welcome to the Punch and Filth. And so, to celebrate his birthday, I've created a list of my five favorite of James McAvoy's performances. I've found a few clips to give you a sense of his acting ability, so I hope you can enjoy watching those. Once again, I'd like to wish James McAvoy a very happy birthday!

5. Frederick Aiken

The Conspirator (2011)

*****

4. Charles Xavier

X-Men: First Class (2011)

*****

3. Wesley

Wanted (2008)

*****

2. Dr. Nicholas Garrigan

The Last King of Scotland (2006)

*****

1. Robbie Turner

Atonement (2007)