Ewan McGregor - Biography

Last Editor: thompson1952				Ewan McGregor Biography -   Name : Ewan McGregor Birth Date : March 31, 1971 Birth Place : Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland, U.K. Birth Name : Ewan Gordon McGregor Height : 5' 10 1/2'' Education : Morrison's Academy in Crieff, Scotland Perth Repertory Theatre in Scotland Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London Nationality : Scotish Profession : Actor Claim to fame : as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Ewan McGregor Trivia -

Is to make his West End musical debut in a production of Guys and Dolls, taking the role of the gambler Sky Masterson, a part immortalized on film by the late Marlon Brando half a century ago. (November 9, 2004) Is in talks to play chronic gambler Sky Masterton in a revival of Guys And Dolls in London's Donmar Warehouse. (October 22, 2004) Said he and pal Charley Boorman almost parked up their motorbikes halfway through their round-the-world trek and called the adventure off because they were missing their families. (2004) His wife has ordered him to shave off the shaggy beard he grew during his round the world motorbike trek because it's scaring their kids. (August 5, 2004) Recently encountered a frightening situation as he neared the end of his marathon motorcycle trek in Mongolia - he got stuck in a muddy river. (July 27, 2004) Has reportedly been sickened by some people charging a small fortune for his name on a bit of paper, he decides to stop signing autographs. (July 27, 2004) Has taken up smoking again after his bike trek across the world turned dangerous. (May 28, 2004) Detained by armed border guards demanding documentation while trekking across the Ukraine on his 20,000-mile motorcycle world tour. (May 10, 2004) Sets off on his round-the-world motorcycle trip with fellow actor Charley Boorman this week. (April 14, 2004) Will voice the title character in the computer-animated feature film VALIANT. (December 4, 2003) Has won a British High Court privacy action over paparazzi photographs taken of his children. (November 13, 2003) McGregor has defended the hardcore sex scenes in his new movie YOUNG ADAM, because they depict the act in a realistic way. (September 18, 2003) McGregor has admitted to binging on alcohol in order to cope with the depression brought on by his role in the STAR WARS prequels. (August 22, 2003) McGregor loved filming new movie YOUNG ADAM because the sex scenes were so realistic – The actor admits he even asked wife Eva Mavrakis for permission before shooting the scenes with co-star Emily Mortimer. (May 28, 2003) Despite STAR WARS propelling him to Hollywood A-list status, McGregor admits he's dreading reprising his role as Obi Wan Kenobi when shooting for the third movie begins in Sydney, Australia, citing they're hard films to make. (May 14, 2003) McGregor is reluctant to appear in a sequel to TRAINSPOTTING because he was less-than impressed with the follow-up novel. (May 9, 2003) McGregor is fronting a campaign to open the first cinema for sick kids – He has lent his voice to an advert appealing for donations which will appear in Scottish cinemas towards the end of this month, appealing for funds to build a new 50 seat MedCinema at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill, Glasgow. (February 19, 2003) After five years, McGregor, one of the founding members of production company, Natural Nylon, has severed his ties with the company -- citing numerous commitments outside the company, McGregor opted to leave, only weeks after co-founder Damon Bryant also departed. (November 1, 2002) He was presented with an honorary doctorate from the University of Ulster at a graduation ceremony in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (5 July 2001) Being considered by Chris Columbus to play Remus Lupin in the third HARRY POTTER sequel, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (2004). Ewan was slated to start filming NAUTIC in Jamaica with Heath Ledger in a couple of months. However Ted Demme, who was picked to direct the film died suddenly at the age of 38 from a heart attack while playing basketball. Former roommate of Jude Law. His first name is pronounced you-in. In the film MOULIN ROUGE (2001) McGregor sang alongside Nicole Kidman. Originally up for the lead role in THE BEACH (2000), which would have reunited him with director Danny Boyle and screenwriter John Hodge (I) who collaborated with McGregor on SHALLOW GRAVE (1994), TRAINSPOTTING (1996) and A LIFE LESS ORDINARY (1997). The role went to Leonardo DiCaprio. While McGregor blames studio influence for the casting descision he has not spoken to either Boyle nor Hodge since. Auditioned for the part of Mercutio for ROMEO + JULIET. Director Baz Luhrman later worked with Ewan in the film MOULIN ROUGE (2001). During filming STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999), he made lightsaber noises as he dueled. It was noted and corrected during post production. He and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers sang their own songs in VELVET GOLDMINE (1998). (Some of Rhys-Meyers' songs were overdubbed by Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke.) He studied many of Alec Guinness' films, including the original STAR WARS, to ensure accuracy in everything from his accent to pacing of his words His mother, Carole, has a cameo in SHALLOW GRAVE (1994) as one of the prospective flatmates. Offered, but turned down, the part of Neo in MATRIX (1994). To play the skinny heroin-addicted Renton in TRAINSPOTTING (1996), he was placed on a simple diet consisting of no alcohol or dairy products in order to lose weight. It only took him two months to reach Renton's desired size. Was nominated Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor - Action/Science Fiction in 2000 for STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE and Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 1997 for ER. His daughter Esther Rose McGregor was born in late 2001. His claim to fame was not STAR WARS, Ewan McGregor is actually a highly proclaimed actor in both Europe and the states, starring in many films such as TRAINSPOTTING, A LIFE LESS ORDINARY, EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, EMMA, and several others. McGregor has patched up his differences with director Danny Boyle as Boyle seeks to reunite the stars of cult movie TRAINSPOTTING for a sequel. (October 25, 2002) Quit smoking before filming STAR WARS

Ewan McGregor Detailed Biography -

Ewan was born on March 31, 1971, in Perth Royal Hospital, Scotland. He was the second son of teachers Jim and Carol McGregor. His brother Colin, a tornado fighter pilot, is two years older than him. Ewan grew up in the small town of Crieff in Perthshire, and was privately educated at Morrison's Academy. Music played a big part in young Ewan's life. He mastered drums, guitar, and the French horn and played in the school's pipe band, a ceilidh band, and had a rock group called Scarlet Pride, Elvis Presley was his idol. Ewan McGregor left school at 16 to pursue acting, and by the age of 23 was getting attention from critics and fans for his roles in Shallow Grave (1994) and Trainspotting (1996). Quickly tagged as an up-and-comer, McGregor tackled a range of roles: he appeared in the period piece Emma (1996), the glam-rock drama Velvet Goldmine (1998), the mainstream Hollywood action feature Black Hawk Down (2001, with Josh Hartnett) and the stylish musical Moulin Rouge! (2001, with Nicole Kidman). Perhaps most famously, he played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequels of the George Lucas series Star Wars. McGregor appeared in Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) and Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) and is scheduled to appear in the third episode, to be released in 2005. His other films include Down With Love (2003, co-starring Renee Zellweger) and Tim Burton's Big Fish (2004). No one could have foreseen when Ewan left Crieff how big a star he'd become. As well as his five-million-pound Star Wars role, his credits include A Life Less Ordinary, Rogue Trader, Velvet Goldmine to name a few. Although he lives in London with his French set designer wife Eve Mavrakis and their daughter Clara, Ewan's heart will always be in Crieff. To his family, he's still a lovable, down-to-earth lad, completely unaffected by fame and fortune, even though he's starring in one of the biggest movies in cinema history.