James McAvoy Is Dad to One Lucky Kid

Published on 12/2/2022 at 5:30 PM

Fans may know James McAvoy for his iconic roles in movies and TV shows such as the X Men franchise, "It Chapter Two," and "The Sandman," but to his son, Brendan McAvoy, he's simply known as dad.

While James is currently married to fellow actor Lisa Liberati, he shares his son with ex-wife Anne-Marie Duff. James and Duff were married for 10 years, from 2006 to 2016. During that time, the pair welcomed Brendan in June 2010. While their relationship didn't quite work out, McAvoy and Duff respectfully asked for privacy amid their split in order to protect Brendan, noting they would continue to be friends.

"It is with tremendous sadness that we have come to the decision to divorce," James and Duff told Entertainment Tonight in a statement in May 2016. "We enter this next phase with continued friendship, love and respect for one another and the shared focus of caring for our son. We ask that you respect our and, most importantly, our child's privacy during this time."

Keep reading to find out more about McAvoy's life as a dad.

Brendan McAvoy

James and Duff welcomed their son, Brendan, into the world in 2010. While the former couple continue to keep their son out of the public eye by not posting photos on social media, James has spoken out about Brendan on rare occasions, including during an August 2021 interview with Screen Rant, where he revealed he wants him out of the house at age 18.

"I think that sometimes we try and protect our kids from way too much, and we end up not preparing them for the world that they're going to have to step into," he said at the time. "Which is why they're all staying with their parents until they're 35 at the moment. I want mine out the door when he's 18."

He also spoke about his parenting style, saying he's "a loving, cuddly parent." He added, "But I do think that we worry too much about what we're letting our kids hear."