James McAvoy: 'Actors aren't as profound as they think'

Actor James McAvoy's career has brought him "half a decade of severe mental trauma".

The Scottish star has appeared in a number of dark roles over the years including movies Filth and current release Victor Frankenstein, and James admits they can have a lingering affect on him.

"It’s been half a decade of severe mental trauma,” he laughed to Britain's The Sunday Times but insists it doesn't take its toll. "I love it. I’m always playing myself. Actors bulls**t about research, but it’s within you. They pretend they are more profound than they actually are.”

James has no problem digging deep to find his character but when it came to his lead role in a 2013 production of Macbeth in London, England, his family weren't too impressed by the repercussions of his efforts.

“Apparently, when doing Macbeth, I was not nice to be with," he admitted. "Apparently, I was distant and angry, but the people I love didn’t judge me. They did, though, say after the event, ‘Yeah, you were a bit of a d**k throughout that whole thing.'"

James would ideally like to spend more time working in theatre than on movies, and he wants to do more Shakespeare, although Hamlet is not on his wish list.

"Hamlet’s so done," he explained. "Hamlet’s always so done. I mean, Hamlet is done last week. It’s done tomorrow. It’s on everywhere, all the time.

"(But) your career happens to you as much as you plan it... I have to just be a hired gun. Also, I want to have a life. I want a theatre career.”