Ewan McGregor
speaks about landing the starring role of the century.
Ewan McGregor
was six when he was given his first light sabre and 28 when he
got his last. On both occasions he spent a lot of time running
and going, "Zoooohoom, zoooohoom!" with a determined
grin on his face as he fought the dark side aided by The Force.
Only once he was playing with his mates in Crief in Scotland,
and the second time he was being filmed on the secret set of one
of the most eagerly awaited movies of our times: The Phantom
Menace.
Ewan the child
was taken along to the cinema to see Star Wars because
his uncle Denis Lawson was in the film playing a fighter pilot
called Wedge Antilles (who saved Luke Skywalker's life in the
first attack on the Death Star. Later, the two would colllobrate
together, the uncle directing the nephew on stage, but back then
it was something to look up to. "It was the first time I
saw my uncle on screen," McGregor remembers. "And that's
what I was most excited about." The magic of Star Wars
didn't leave him. He got himself a light sabre and fell in
love with Leia (ofcourse).
"I used
to know every line in the first movie; my friends use to watch
it every weekend up until I was 12, 13. I still love wacthing
it and it's cracking. Star Wars films have not ages at
all, they are untouchable, fantastic."
When he landed
the role, he was briefly concerned that he might stay frozen in
time, cast forever like Obi Wan. "I asked a lot of people
I respect what they thought. But it's not some shit like Independence
Day. Star Wars is an entity of it's own.
I am at ease with people not accepting Obi-Wan playing a drug
addict."
Back
to main articles page
