James McAvoy declares Daniel Radcliffe the 'most professional actor I've ever worked with'

NEW YORK, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Daniel Radcliffe says his working relationship with James McAvoy bore little resemblance to the partnership their characters shared in Victor Frankenstein.

Directed by Paul McGuigan, the latest incarnation of the Gothic horror tale casts McAvoy as the titular mad scientist and Radcliffe as Igor, a brilliant circus performer who goes to work in Frankenstein's monster-building lab after the doctor saves his life. The film is in theaters now.

"Thankfully, [real life] didn't mirror the relationship between the characters at all in the sense that [the screen union] is quite an abusive relationship," Radcliffe, 26, told UPI at a recent New York press conference.

"I think [McAvoy and I are] fairly similar in terms of our work ethic and the fact that we take the job seriously and we're focused, but, also, we're not saving lives and it is about having fun. We're lucky that we get to work in an industry where we can have a lot of fun while doing our jobs. So, yeah, it was great, but, thankfully, not like I was indebted to James forever and he was abusing me and hitting me and things. It wasn't like that."

"For me, the roles were reversed in one big way in that Daniel is the most professional actor I've ever worked with in my life," McAvoy, 36, said. "I'm quite a professional actor and I pride myself in being very professional, but to be sort of like, 'Wow, I'm learning from him,' that was kind of nuts."

"That's weird," Radcliffe remarked.

"Just because you're 10 years younger than me, if not more, but, actually, you're way more experienced than I am and hugely professional," McAvoy told his co-star. "Way more professional than some people I've worked with, who have been in the business for 40 years. It's nuts. It's to be admired. ... We love each other!"

Radcliffe is best known for his work in the Harry Potter blockbusters, while McAvoy has starred in several X-Men movies.