James McAvoy has said he based one of the multiple personalities he portrays in his latest film on actress Saoirse Ronan.

The Scottish actor, 39, returns to play Kevin Wendell Crumb, who has more than 20 personalities, in the M. Night Shyamalan film Glass.

It is the sequel to both Split and the 2000 thriller Unbreakable starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson.

James McAvoy and Sarah Paulson
James McAvoy and Sarah Paulson appeared on the Graham Norton Show ( Isabel Infantes/PA)

He told The Graham Norton Show: “All of them had one driving characteristic. That was key to getting into them physically. I based one of the twins on a young Saoirse Ronan.”

The film marks the first time all three characters – Crumb, Willis’ character David Dunn (known as The Overseer) and Jackson’s character Elijah Price (also known as Mr Glass) – star alongside each other.

McAvoy said of working with Hollywood A-listers Willis and Jackson: “They are massive movie stars.

“You work with movie stars that are your contemporaries, but when you are working with somebody that was a movie star when you were a wee boy, someone that was starring in Moonlighting when you were six, it is unbelievable. It is different.”

Graham Norton Show
(back row left to right) Kian Egan, Markus Feehily, host Graham Norton, Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, (seated left to right) Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly, James McAvoy, Sarah Paulson, and Richard E. Grant during filming for the Graham Norton Show (Isabel Infantes/PA)

American Horror Story actress Sarah Paulson also stars in the film, playing psychiatrist Dr Ellie Staple.

She told Norton: “I just wanted Samuel L. Jackson to like me. He is an incredibly formidable human and right away you feel that if he likes you, you are going to be OK in life. We had a bit of a swear-off. I have a potty mouth and so does he. It was a lot of fun.”

Paulson said she cried when Shyamalan told her she had landed the role.

She added: “I really wanted to work with him. I said yes without even looking at the script. It was desperation and admiration.”

British star Richard E. Grant and Stan and Ollie stars Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly also appear as guests on the show.

Westlife
Westlife appeared on the show (So TV/PA)

Irish boy band Westlife perform their single Hello My Love.