James McAvoy wasn't cast in State of Play.
James McAvoy . His notable television work includes the drama show State of Play , the adult comedy-drama Shameless , and the science fiction show Frank Herbert 's Children of Dune . In 2003 , McAvoy appeared in a lead role in Bollywood Queen , a British Indian take on the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet , directed by Jeremy Wooding . State of Play is a British television drama series , written by Paul Abbott and directed by David Yates , that was first broadcast on BBC One in 2003 . The series stars David Morrissey , John Simm , Kelly Macdonald , Polly Walker , Bill Nighy , and James McAvoy in the main roles .