JAMES McAVOY was so nervous about kissing ANGELINA JOLIE in new movie WANTED, he preferred to be beaten up in fight scenes.

The Scottish actor plays an office worker-turned-assassin in the movie, alongside Jolie as an ace hitwoman who mentors him.

The pair share a clinch in the film, but married McAvoy was too anxious to relax and enjoy a smooch with one of the world's sexiest women.

He tells Moviefone.com, "I'm always nervous about doing the kissing scenes - they're never comfortable, they're always kind of weird, they're not enjoyable, do you know what I mean? But the fight scenes, getting beaten up by her all the time is fine, that was fun. That's one of the reasons I did the job, is to do all those scenes."