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On the phonetvTm^M James McAvoy The Scottish actor's latest movie generates kisses from Keira Knightley and Oscar buzz. BY JON TOLLESTRUP HE HAS BEEN a faun (2005’s The Chroni cles of Narnia), a doctor to a dictator (last year’s The Last King of Scotland) and Jane Austen’s main squeeze (this year’s Becom ing Jane). Now, Scottish actor James McAvoy, 28, has Oscar knocking for the first time with his latest turn in the big-screen adaptation of lan McEwan’s novel Atone ment opposite Keira Knightley. McAvoy plays a working class chap living on a sprawling English estate before World War II who has a fateful affair with Knightley, the owner’s eldest daughter. After appealing at the Venice and Toronto film fes tivals earlier this year, critics on both sides of the pond have McAvoy and Oscar cheek and jowi in the same sentence. And such buzz has quickly inked his name on the unofficial Best Actor shortlist be side such A-listers as Denzel Wash ington and Johnny Depp. Recently, McAvoy chatted on the phone from his home in north Lon don, where he lives with his wife, Brit ish actress Anne-Marie Duff, about his early cinematic interests, Keira Knightley’s kissing compliment and his healthy paycheck splurges. Q Before acting, you considered being a missionary. What was the appeal for you? The idea was to go away and have adventures. But I realized how T many years of training go into that before you’re even selected to be a missionary, so I thought, to hell with it, I could get a ticket and just go. But I’m a Catholic boy, so I don’t think it’s out of character for somebody like that to at least entertain the notion. fSiSa *i* r '* K *+ 24 USA WEEKEND • Nov. 30-Dec. 2,2007 QWell, it looks as though you answered the right call. What movies captured your interest during those early years? Michael J. Fox appeared in nearly every movie that I loved. Also, I loved all those Brat Pack movies. I used to watch a lot of romantic comedies, but -'* the Back to the Future trilogy, The Goonies / and Ghostbnsters were my favorites. / d : QNow that you're in this industry, have you met any of the people that you liked growing up? I met Tom Hanks, which was weird, lovely and exciting. He directed [HBO’s] Baud of Brothers , which was my first big TV’ gig. Later, """ f McAvoy and Keira Knightley star as lovers in the drama Atonement, opening nationwide Dec. 14. in which you play the son of an assassin alongside Angelina Jolie. What did you two talk about on set? We both know' different parts of Africa really well, so we talked about that. But other than that, it’s all Get your USA WEEKEND puzzles in book form! Including the NEW Frame Games 2. They're perfect gifts or stocking stuffers. Order yours today exclusively from usaweekend.com. he cast me in Starter for 10, which he produced, and that was doubly exciting because now' you’re walking in his genre he has done more romantic comedies than I’ve had hot dinners. QOne bright spot in Atonement is your screen romance with Keira Knightley, who called you the J best kisser she'd ever worked with. Did that surprise you? It did, actually. I was sitting be side her at a press conference w'hen she said that, so I’m sure if Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom had been there, she’d have said the same thing about them. QYour string of remarkable co-stars continues in your next film, Wanted, fairly stuff, like and I'vh iei;! various stages of my life. QWhat parts of Africa do you know? My experience of Africa is really focused on Uganda, where The Last King of Scot land was filmed. [Later,J I traveled into the conflict zone and visited Internally Displaced Peoples camps, hospitals and other sites all over the region with a cameraman and a couple of journalists. I was making a series of news packages. Q Since your career has taken off, have you used your paycheck to splurge on anything? I do buy posh food. I don’t mind spending a little bit more to get a higher quality of carrot. E 3 "Michael J. Fox appeared in nearly every movie that I loved." f. Only $4.95 each, plus s&h PORTRAIT: KEVIN MAZUR CONTOURPHOTOS; ATOMMtNT: AIEX BAILEY