Ewan McGregor
File:Ewan McGregor 66?me Festival de Venise (Mostra) color.jpg McGregor at the Venice Film Festival in 2009
Born | Ewan Gordon McGregor (1971-03-31) 31 March 1971 (age 42) Perth, Scotland
Occupation | Actor
Years active | 1993?present
Spouse(s) | Eve Mavrakis (1995?present)
Children | 4

Ewan Gordon McGregor (born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor who has had success in mainstream, indie, and art house films. He is perhaps best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting (1996), Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999?2005), poet Christian in the musical film Moulin Rouge! (2001), and storyteller Edward Bloom in Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003). He has also received critical acclaim for his starring roles in theatre productions of Guys and Dolls (2005?07) and Othello (2007?08). McGregor was ranked No. 36 on Empire magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list in 1997.[1]

## Early life[edit]

Born in the Royal Infirmary in Perth, Scotland, McGregor was brought up in the nearby small town of Crieff, where he attended the independent Morrison's Academy. His mother, Carole Diane (n?e Lawson), is a teacher and school administrator, and his father, James Charles Stewart "Jim" McGregor, is a physical education teacher.[2][3] He has an older brother, Colin, who is a former Tornado GR4 pilot in the Royal Air Force.[4][5] He is the nephew of actor Denis Lawson and the late actress Sheila Gish, and the step-cousin of the late actress Lou Gish.[6] McGregor studied drama at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.[6]

## Career[edit]

### Film and television[edit]

In 1993, six months prior to his graduation from Guildhall, McGregor won a leading role in Dennis Potter's six-part Channel 4 series Lipstick on Your Collar.[6] That same year, he starred in the BBC adaptation of Scarlet and Black with a young Rachel Weisz, and made his film debut in Bill Forsyth's Being Human.[7] In 1994, McGregor earned critical praise for his performance in the thriller Shallow Grave, for which he won an Empire Award,[8] and which marked his first collaboration with director Danny Boyle.[6] His international breakthrough followed in 1996 with the role of heroin addict Mark Renton in Boyle's Trainspotting, an adaptation of Irvine Welsh's novel of the same name.[6][7] The film was the first of several times that McGregor would appear nude on screen; he told The Scotsman in 2003 that audiences in the United States are "a bit worried about seeing my old chap", referring to his foreskin and the cultural influence of infant circumcision in the U.S.

McGregor at the premiere of The Men Who Stare at Goats at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2009

McGregor played the male romantic lead in the 1998 British film Little Voice. In 1999, McGregor starred in the blockbuster Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi, a role originally made famous by Sir Alec Guinness in the original Star Wars trilogy.[6] By appearing in Star Wars, he continued a family tradition of sorts: his uncle, Denis Lawson, had played Wedge Antilles in the original trilogy.[9] In 2001, he starred in Moulin Rouge! as the young poet Christian, who falls in love with the terminally-ill courtesan Satine, played by Nicole Kidman. McGregor reprised his role of Obi-Wan Kenobi for the subsequent prequel Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones in 2002. In 2003, he starred alongside Ren?e Zellweger in Down With Love,[6][10]. He also portrayed the younger Edward Bloom in the critically acclaimed film Big Fish alongside Albert Finney, Jessica Lange, Alison Lohman and Billy Crudup. During that year, he also received critical acclaim for his portrayal of an amoral drifter mixed up with murder in the drama Young Adam, which co-starred Tilda Swinton.[11][12]

In 2005, McGregor appeared for the final time as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He took very special care?especially in Revenge of the Sith?to ensure that his portrayal of Obi-Wan's mannerisms, speech timings, and accents closely resembled Alec Guinness' version.[13] That same year, McGregor lent his voice to two successful animated features; he played the robot Rodney Copperbottom in Robots, which also featured the voices of Halle Berry and Robin Williams,[14] and he voiced the lead character in Gary Chapman's Valiant, alongside Jim Broadbent, John Cleese and Ricky Gervais.[15] Also in 2005, McGregor played two roles?one a clone of the other?opposite Scarlett Johansson in Michael Bay's The Island, and he appeared in Marc Forster's Stay, a psychological thriller co-starring Naomi Watts and Ryan Gosling.[16][17]

McGregor was reportedly offered the role of James Bond in the 2006 reboot Casino Royale, but he turned it down because he feared becoming typecast.[18] In 2006, he narrated the Fulldome production Astronaut, created for the National Space Centre.[citation needed] That same year, he also narrated the STV show JetSet, a six-part series following the lives of student pilots and navigators at RAF Lossiemouth as they undergo a gruelling six-month course learning to fly the Tornado GR4, the RAF's primary attack aircraft.[19] In 2007, McGregor starred opposite Colin Farrell in the Woody Allen film Cassandra's Dream.[7][20] In 2009, he co-starred with Jim Carrey in I Love You Phillip Morris and appeared in Amelia alongside Hilary Swank. Also in 2009, he portrayed Camerlengo Patrick McKenna in Angels Demons, the film adaptation of Dan Brown's novel of the same name. McGregor is scheduled to co-star with Daniel Craig in Dan Harris' upcoming film adaptation of Glen Duncan's novel I, Lucifer.[21] At the 2011 Seattle International Film Festival, he was awarded with the SIFF Golden Space Needle Award for Outstanding Achievement in Acting. [22]

In 2012, he was named as a member of the Jury for the Main Competition at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.[23] At the San Sebastian International Film Festival, he was awarded the Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award and became the youngest recipient of the award.[24]

### Theatre[edit]

From November 1998 to March 1999, McGregor starred as Malcolm Scrawdyke in a production of David Halliwell's Little Malcolm and His Struggles Against the Eunuchs, directed by his uncle, Denis Lawson. The play was first staged at the Hampstead Theatre before transferring to the Comedy Theatre in London's West End.[25] In November 2001, McGregor made a cameo appearance in The Play What I Wrote.[26]

From June 2005 to April 2007, McGregor starred alongside Jane Krakowski, Douglas Hodge, and Jenna Russell in the original Donmar Warehouse production of Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre in London.[27] He played the leading role of Sky Masterson, made famous by Marlon Brando in the film of the same name. McGregor received the LastMinute.com award for Best Actor for his performance in 2005,[28] and he was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2007.[29]

From December 2007 to February 2008, McGregor starred as Iago in Othello at the Donmar Warehouse alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor as Othello and Kelly Reilly as Desdemona.[30][31] He reprised the role on BBC Radio 3 in May 2008.[30]

## Motorcycle journeys[edit]

A keen motorcyclist since his youth, McGregor undertook a marathon international motorcycle trip with his best friend Charley Boorman and cameraman Claudio von Planta in 2004. From mid-April to the end of July, they travelled from London to New York via central Europe, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberian Russia, and Canada on BMW R1150GS Adventure motorcycles, for a cumulative distance of 22,345 miles (35,960 km).[32] The trip formed the basis of a television series and a best-selling book, both called Long Way Round.[33]

The Long Way Round team reunited in 2007 for another motorcycle trip from John o' Groats in Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa.[33] The journey, entitled Long Way Down, lasted from 12 May until 5 August 2007.[33] McGregor's brother Colin joined the motorcycle team during the early stages of the Long Way Down journey,[4][33] and his father Jim also rode on sections of both Long Way Round and Long Way Down.[34][35]

In September 2010, Charley Boorman stated that a third installment of the Long Way series was planned for 2011, riding from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska; this has not taken place, however.

McGregor appeared in a two-part BBC documentary in April 2012 entitled Ewan McGregor: Cold Chain Mission in which he travels by motorbike, boat, plane and foot to deliver vaccines to children in remote parts of India, Nepal and the Republic of Congo. The trip was part of his work as a UNICEF Ambassador.

## Personal life[edit]

McGregor is married to Eve Mavrakis, a French production designer.[6] They have four daughters, Clara Mathilde McGregor (born February 1996), Esther Rose McGregor (born 7 November 2001), Jamiyan McGregor (born June 2001 in Mongolia; adopted April 2006),[36] and Anouk McGregor (born January 2011).[37][38][39] McGregor has a heart and dagger tattoo of the names of his wife and daughters on his right arm.[10][40] The family currently resides in Los Angeles, California, after moving from London.[41]

McGregor is involved in charity work, including with UNICEF and GO Campaign. During the Long Way Round journey in 2004, McGregor and his travelling companions took time out to see some of UNICEF's work in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia,[33] and during the Long Way Down trip in 2007, he and Charley Boorman did work for UNICEF in Africa. McGregor hosted the annual Hollywood gala for GO Campaign in 2009 and 2010. He has also worked with the Children's Hospice Association Scotland, as featured in Long Way Down. In 2012 McGregor travelled with UNICEF immunisation workers to remote parts of India, Nepal and the Republic of Congo for a BBC2 documentary entitled Ewan McGregor: Cold Chain Mission.

In 2007, on an episode of Parkinson, McGregor stated that he had given up alcohol after a period where he was arguably a functioning alcoholic, and that he had not had a drink in seven years.[42] In 2008, he had a cancerous mole removed from underneath his right eye.[43]

## Filmography[edit]

Film
Title | Year | Role | Notes
--- | --- | --- | ---
Being Human | 1994 | Alvarez |
Shallow Grave | 1994 | Alex Law | Empire Award for Best British Actor
Blue Juice | 1995 | Dean Raymond |
Trainspotting | 1996 | Mark Renton | BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Empire Award for Best British Actor London Film Critics' Circle Award for British Actor of the Year Nominated?MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
Pillow Book, The The Pillow Book | 1996 | Jerome |
Emma | 1996 | Frank Churchill |
Brassed Off | 1996 | Andy Barrow |
Nightwatch | 1997 | Martin Bells |
Serpent's Kiss, The The Serpent's Kiss | 1997 | Meneer Chrome |
Life Less Ordinary, A A Life Less Ordinary | 1997 | Robert Lewis | Empire Award for Best British Actor Nominated?MTV Movie Award for Best Dance Sequence (shared with Cameron Diaz)
Velvet Goldmine | 1998 | Curt Wild |
Little Voice | 1998 | Billy | Nominated?Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Desserts | 1999 | Stroller | Short film
Star Wars: Episode I ? The Phantom Menace | 1999 | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Nominated?Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor Nominated? Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Action/Science Fiction Nominated?MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Liam Neeson and Ray Park) Nominated?Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
Rogue Trader | 1999 | Nick Leeson |
Eye of the Beholder | 1999 | The Eye |
Nora | 2000 | James Joyce | Nominated?Irish Film and Television Award for Best Actor
Moulin Rouge! | 2001 | Christian | Empire Award for Best British Actor London Film Critics' Circle Award for British Actor of the Year MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Sequence (shared with Nicole Kidman) Satellite Award for Best Actor ? Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated?Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated?Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Actor Nominated?Golden Globe Award for Best Actor ? Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated?IF Award for Best Actor Nominated?MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Nicole Kidman) Nominated?Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Black Hawk Down | 2001 | SPC John Grimes | Nominated?Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
Star Wars: Episode II ? Attack of the Clones | 2002 | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Nominated-MTV Movie Award for Best Hero
Solid Geometry | 2002 | Phil |
Down with Love | 2003 | Catcher Block |
Young Adam | 2003 | Joe Taylor | BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated?British Independent Film Award for Best Actor Nominated?Empire Award for Best British Actor
Faster | 2003 | Narrator | Voice
Big Fish | 2003 | Edward Bloom (young) |
Robots | 2005 | Rodney Copperbottom | Voice
Star Wars: Episode III ? Revenge of the Sith | 2005 | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Nominated?MTV Movie Award for Best Hero Nominated?MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Hayden Christensen)
Valiant | 2005 | Valiant | Voice
Island, The The Island | 2005 | Lincoln Six Echo/Tom Lincoln |
Stay | 2005 | Dr. Sam Foster |
Stormbreaker | 2006 | Ian Rider |
Scenes of a Sexual Nature | 2006 | Billy |
Miss Potter | 2006 | Norman Warne |
Cassandra's Dream | 2007 | Ian Blane |
Incendiary | 2008 | Jasper Black |
Deception | 2008 | Jonathan McQuarry |
I Love You Phillip Morris | 2009 | Phillip Morris | Nominated ? Comedy Film Award for Best Supporting Actor
Angels Demons | 2009 | Camerlengo Patrick McKenna |
Men Who Stare at Goats, The The Men Who Stare at Goats | 2009 | Bob Wilton |
Amelia | 2009 | Gene Vidal |
Ghost Writer, The The Ghost Writer | 2010 | The Ghost | European Film Award for Best Actor
Nanny McPhee Returns | 2010 | Rory Green | Cameo
Jackboots on Whitehall | 2010 | Chris | Voice
Beginners | 2010 | Oliver |
Perfect Sense | 2011 | Michael |
Fastest | 2011 | Narrator | Voice
Haywire | 2011 | Kenneth |
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen | 2012 | Dr. Alfred Jones |
Impossible, The The Impossible | 2012 | Henry |
Jack the Giant Slayer | 2013 | Elmont | In production
August: Osage County | 2013 | Bill Fordham | Filming

Television
Title | Year | Role | Notes
--- | --- | --- | ---
Lipstick on Your Collar | 1993 | PVT Mick Hopper | Six episodes
Scarlet and Black | 1993 | Julien Sorel | Mini-series
Kavanagh QC | 1995 | David Robert Armstrong | Episode: "Nothing But the Truth"
Karaoke | 1996 | Young Man | Episode: "Tuesday"
Tales from the Crypt | 1996 | Ford | Episode: "Cold War"
ER | 1997 | Duncan Stewart | Episode: "The Long Way Around" Nominated?Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor ? Drama Series[44]
Polar Bears of Churchill with Ewan McGregor, The The Polar Bears of Churchill with Ewan McGregor | 2002 | Himself | Documentary series
Long Way Round | 2004 | Himself | Documentary series
Long Way Down | 2007 | Himself | Documentary series
Battle of Britain, The The Battle of Britain | 2010 | Himself | Documentary
Ewan McGregor: Cold Chain Mission, Ewan McGregor: Cold Chain Mission | 2012 | Himself | Documentary
Bomber Boys, Bomber Boys | 2012 | Himself | Documentary
The Corrections | 2013 | Chip Lambert | Unaired Pilot

## Discography[edit]

- "Choose Life" with PF Project, Trainspotting#2: Music from the Motion Picture, Vol. #2, 1997.
- "TV Eye" with Wylde Ratttz, Velvet Goldmine: Music from the Original Motion Picture, 1999.
- "Come What May" with Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge! Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film, 2001.
- "Elephant Love Medley" with Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge! Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film, 2001.
- "Your Song" with Alessandro Safina, Moulin Rouge! Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film, 2001.
- "Here's To Love" with Ren?e Zellweger, Down With Love: Music from and Included in the Motion Picture, 2003.
- "The Sweetest Gift", Unexpected Dreams ? Songs From the Stars, 2006.
- "El Tango de Roxanne" with Jose Feliciano, Moulin Rouge! Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film, 2001.

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Empire Magazine's Top 100 Movie Stars 1997". amiannoying.com. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
2. ^ "Ewan McGregor biography". tiscali.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
3. ^ "Ewan McGregor Biography (1971?)". filmreference.com. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
4. ^ a b Spencer, Ben (18 September 2006). "Ewan felt the force of my lightsaber". Daily Record. [dead link]
5. ^ Barratt, Nick (11 November 2006). "Family Detective". The Daily Telegraph (London).
6. ^ a b c d e f g h "Profile ? Ewan McGregor". Hello!. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
7. ^ a b c "Hello Magazine Filmography ? Ewan McGregor". Hello Magazine. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
8. ^ "Empire Awards, UK: 1996". IMDB.com. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
9. ^ Star Wars Trilogy (DVD). 20th Century Fox. 2004.
10. ^ a b "Ewan McGregor Biography". Yahoo!. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
11. ^ Slater, Matthew (9 October 2003). "Young Adam's dark tale". BBC. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
12. ^ Dawtrey, Adam (21 September 2003). "Thomas' distrib misstep". Variety. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
13. ^ Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith ? Web Documentaries of Revenge of the Sith DVD (DVD). 20th Century Fox. 2005.
14. ^ Hartlaub, Peter (11 March 2005). "It's a bucket of bolts that rattles agreeably. Robots mingles brass, laughs and, yes, Robin Williams". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
15. ^ Holden, Stephen (19 August 2005). "Thse Brave Pigeons Are Doing Their Part for the War". New York Times. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
16. ^ Clinton, Paul (22 July 2005). "'Island' just interesting enough". CNN. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
17. ^ Dargis, Manohla (21 October 2005). "Something Is Happening, but Who Knows What It Is?". New York Times. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
18. ^ Stansfield, Robert (23 October 2006). "007 role offered to Ewan". Daily Mirror.
19. ^ "Ground School". STV. 27 July 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2008. [dead link]
20. ^ Moore, Roger (29 January 2008). ""Dream" gives wakeup call to Woody Allen". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
21. ^ "I, Lucifer (2009)". Internet Movie Database. Amazon.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
22. ^ "2011 Golden Space Award for Outstanding Achieveent in Acting". Retrieved 25 October 2012.
23. ^ "The Jury of the 65th Festival de Cannes". festival-cannes.com. Cannes Film Festival. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
24. ^ "2012 Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award". Retrieved 25 October 2012.
25. ^ "McGregor play opens in West End". BBC News. 22 January 1999. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
26. ^ Wolf, Matt (25 November 2001). "V Legit Reviews: The Play What I Wrote". Variety. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
27. ^ "Guys and Dolls musical". Guys and Dolls the Musical. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
28. ^ Singh, Anita (25 October 2005). "McGregor wins theatre award". The Scotsman (Edinburgh).
29. ^ "The nominees and winners of the 2006 Laurence Olivier Awards". The Society of London Theatre. Archived from the original on 5 February 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2008. [dead link]
30. ^ a b "Ewan McGregor returns to London stage for minimum wage". International Herald Tribune. 12 May 2007. [dead link]
31. ^ "Ewan McGregor to Play Iago in Othello at London's Donmar". Broadway.com. 11 May 2007.
32. ^ "Long Ride to Self Discovery". Telegraph. Long Way Around. 14 October 2004. Archived from the original on 28 May 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
33. ^ a b c d e "Ewan McGregor gets back on his bike ? this time for BBC Two". BBC. 15 May 2007. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
34. ^ Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman, David Alexanian, and Russ Malkin (18 October 2004). "Long Way Round". Long Way Round. 42 minutes in. Sky One.
35. ^ Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman, David Alexanian, and Russ Malkin (28 October 2007). "Long Way Down". Long Way Down. BBC Two.
36. ^ Stephen M. Silverman and Pete Norman (12 April 2006). "Ewan McGregor Adopts a Daughter". People. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
37. ^ Adams, Cindy (25 May, 2011). "Beginning of a new friendship". New York Post (News Corporation). ISSN 1090-3321. Retrieved 28 May, 2011. Check date values in: `|date=, |accessdate=` (help)
38. ^ Blair, Iain (1 June 2011). "A Minute With: "Beginners" star Ewan McGregor". Reuters. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
39. ^ Fine, Marshall (1 June 2011). "Christopher Plummer is busier than ever". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
40. ^ "Ewan McGregor Tattoo Pictures". Ready2Beat. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
41. ^ Khokhar, Ahmer (1 August 2010). "'London eats liberty', says Ewan McGregor". The Scotsman (Edinburgh). Retrieved 8 September 2011.
42. ^ C Taylor (17 November 2007). "Ewan McGregor Admits To Drinking Problem". Entertainment Wise. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
43. ^ "McGregor fine after cancer scare". BBC. 22 April 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2008.
44. ^ Ewan Mcgregor Emmy Award Nominee

## Further reading[edit]

- Adams, Billy. Ewan McGregor: The Unauthorized Biography. Overlooks Press, 1999. ISBN 0-87951-704-2
- Bassom, David. Ewan McGregor: An Illustrated Story. Hamlyn, 1999. ISBN 0-600-59653-2
- Jones, Veda Boyd. Ewan McGregor. Facts On File Inc., 1999. ISBN 0-7910-5501-9
- Nickson, Chris. Ewan McGregor: An Unauthorized Biography. Macmillan, 1999. ISBN 0-312-96910-4
- Pendreigh, Brian. Ewan McGregor. Thunder's Mouth Press, 1999. ISBN 1-56025-239-1
- Robb, Brian J. Ewan McGregor: From Junkie to Jedi. Plexus, 1999. ISBN 0-85965-276-9

## External links[edit]

| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ewan McGregor.

- API at the Internet Movie Database
- Template:Ymovies name

Boorman and McGregor's Travel Adventures
Television programmes | Long Way Round (2004) Race to Dakar (2006) Long Way Down (2007) By Any Means (2008) Right to the Edge: Sydney to Tokyo By Any Means (2009)
People | David Alexanian Charley Boorman Russ Malkin Ewan McGregor Claudio von Planta

Authority control | VIAF: 51854561

Persondata
Name | McGregor, Ewan
Alternative names | McGregor, Ewan Gordon (full name)
Short description | Scottish actor
Date of birth | 31 March 1971
Place of birth | Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom
Date of death |
Place of death |