James McAvoy on Filth

Filth is dark. It's weird. It's brilliant. It's not a film that you'd want to see bright and early on a Monday morning, yet that's exactly what we did.

The adaptation of Irvine Welsh's 1998 novel follows the attempts of Bruce Robertson (James McAvy) to win back his daughter and wife. But this isn't a warm, wholesome story of sacrifice and forgiveness. This is Irvine Welsh, and so Robertson is a bipolar, hallucinogenic, drug addled cop. Obviously.

McAvoy spoke to ShortList about playing this less-than-wholesome character, hiding naked pictures, his brilliant barnet for X-Men and a scene that was cut from the final release of Filth that involved getting to know man's best friend far too intimately.

(Images: Rex)