This charismatic, stage-trained Scotsman first came to prominence in two movies directed by Danny Boyle: the 1994 comic thriller
Shallow Grave and the 1996 heroin-addiction epic
Trainspotting. McGregor was captivating in both as two very flawed yet undeniably charming characters. In 1997 he did an Emmy-nominated turn on
ER as a desperate (but charming) robber. Yet the versatile actor didn't truly become a star until he won the role of a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the much-ballyhooed second
Star Wars trilogy. Although the films kept him busy between 1999 and 2005, the versatile actor still found time to appear in a number of more offbeat projects. He starred as legendary Irish author James Joyce in
Nora (which he also produced), spun seductive Southern tales in
Big Fish, and sang and danced in the musical
Moulin Rouge. That vocal experience came in handy when he signed on to star in the 2005 revival of
Guys and Dolls in London's West End. With dreamy blue eyes and a cleft chin, McGregor is certainly a heartthrob, yet he eschews the typical Hollywood party lifestyle and leads a private life with his wife (production designer Eve Mavrakis) and children.
Ewan McGregor Fast Facts:
- Jude Law was once a roommate.
- One of the cofounders (along with Jude Law, Sadie Frost, Jonny Lee Miller and others) of the independent production company Natural Nylon, which was created to produce film and theater. McGregor resigned from the company in 2002 because of film commitments and the organization folded the following year.
- Presented with an honorary doctorate in 2001 from the University of Ulster at a graduation ceremony in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- Believed that the set of 2001's Black Hawk Down was too violent and refused to allow his children or wife to visit him while shooting.
- Completed a 2004 trip from London to New York on a motorcycle in 115 days, traveling through Europe, Mongolia, Russia, Alaska and Canada. Actor Charley Boorman accompanied him.
- Ewan McGregor Relationships:
- Denis Lawson - Uncle
- Eve Mavrakis - Wife
- Carol McGregor - Mother
- Clara Mathilde McGregor - Daughter
- Colin McGregor - Brother
- James McGregor - Father
- Jamiyan - Daughter
- Esther Rose McGregor - Daughter
- Ewan McGregor Awards:
- 2002 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 1997 Emmy: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series - Nominee
- College:
- Attended Kirkcaldy College of Technology, Kirkcaldy, Scotland; attended Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London, England
