I really liked 'Starter For Ten' because I grew up watching

James McAvoy once reflected with both nostalgia and joy: "I really liked 'Starter For Ten' because I grew up watching 1980s teen films like 'St. Elmo's Fire' and 'The Breakfast Club' and I've always wanted to play the underdog lead hero in a 1980s-inspired film." These words reveal not only the shaping power of youthful influences but also the longing of an artist to step into the timeless archetype of the underdog, the figure who struggles, stumbles, yet finds a way to rise. In his confession, McAvoy honors the films of his youth, acknowledging how they planted seeds of imagination that later bore fruit in his own work.

The origin of this quote rests in McAvoy’s early career, when he starred in Starter For Ten, a comedy-drama set in the 1980s that embodied the tone and spirit of the classic American teen films he admired. The movies he names—The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire—were not mere entertainment, but cultural milestones, shaping the voices and aspirations of a generation. To McAvoy, these films carried the heartbeat of adolescence: friendship, struggle, heartbreak, and discovery. By acting in a film inspired by them, he was not only performing a role, but also fulfilling a childhood dream, stepping into the shoes of the kind of hero he once admired on screen.

The power of the underdog story has always stirred human hearts. From the ancient tale of David and Goliath, where the shepherd boy overcame the giant, to the struggles of Nelson Mandela, who rose from imprisonment to lead his nation, humanity has always revered those who begin with little but conquer much. The 1980s films McAvoy speaks of tapped into this ancient longing, portraying ordinary teens navigating extraordinary challenges—whether social, emotional, or personal—and emerging stronger. To play such a character was to embody one of the oldest and most enduring truths: that greatness often begins in weakness.

McAvoy’s words also remind us of the continuity of influence across generations. Just as he grew up inspired by films of the 1980s, so too will others be inspired by his performances, whether as the humble student in Starter For Ten or as the conflicted leader Charles Xavier in X-Men. In this chain of inspiration, each generation passes down its heroes to the next, proving that art is never only for the moment—it becomes part of the spiritual inheritance of those who come after.

At a deeper level, McAvoy’s reflection reveals the yearning to participate in one’s heroes’ world. As a boy, he watched characters like those in The Breakfast Club wrestle with identity, belonging, and love. As a man, he stepped into that same tradition, no longer as spectator but as creator. This is the cycle of dreams: first we receive, then we give. First we are inspired, then we become the inspiration. McAvoy’s words remind us that to dream as a child may one day shape the destiny of our adult life.

For us, the lesson is clear: never dismiss the dreams of your youth, for they may become the guiding lights of your future. The passions that stir you in childhood are not meaningless—they are whispers of the path you are called to walk. If you loved stories of underdogs, perhaps you are meant to lift the overlooked. If you admired tales of courage, perhaps you are called to embody it. The seeds of destiny are often planted in the soil of youthful fascination.

Therefore, children of tomorrow, take James McAvoy’s wisdom to heart. Cherish the influences that shaped you, for they may one day guide your own craft and calling. Embrace the spirit of the underdog, for in every life there are battles to fight and giants to face. And remember that the stories you consume with passion may one day be the stories you create for others. Thus, the circle continues: youthful inspiration becomes adult creation, and adult creation becomes the inspiration of another youth. In this, art lives forever.