EWAN MCGREGOR
He Takes On Halston + Obi-Wan Kenobi Returns
On the short list of great actors under 50 in film, Ewan McGregor is poised to have one of his busiest years as he reaches the half-century mark in March.
Most widely known for playing a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the “Star Wars” prequels, McGregor will return to the role in the Disney+ show “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” The show is set to begin filming soon and is expected to air later this year. McGregor, who left school at 16 to join the theatre, fittingly earned his role in the “Star Wars” prequel as his uncle is Denis Lawson. Lawson played the rebel pilot Wedge, who was in all three of the original “Star Wars” films. The “Obi-Wan Kenobi” show is expected to also feature the return of Hayden Christensen, who played Darth Vader in the prequels.
McGregor play the title role in the upcoming Netflix show “Halston,” about the iconic 1970’s fashion designer who died of AIDS. McGregor’s co-stars on the show include Rory Culkin as Joel Schulmacher, Gian Franco Rodriguez as Victor Hugo, Krysta Rodriguez as Liza Minnelli and Rebecca Dayan as Elsa Peretti.
McGregor is expected to be heard this year as the voice of Cricket in the animated film “Pinocchio,” a darker version of the Disney classic. The movie will launch on Netflix, which took over production of the film in 2018 from The Jim Henson Company and Pathe. Other voices include Cate Blanchett, David Bradley, John Turturro and Christopher Waltz.
Another McGregor film to look out for in 2021 is “The Birthday Cake,” with Val Kilmer, Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino.
Ongoing projects for McGregor include a role as the voice of the Wish Collector in “The Land of Sometimes” with Helena Bonham Carter. The British animated film, produced by Nottage Productions, is directed by Leon Joosen. Joosen is an animator who worked on the 1980’s series “Muppet Babies,” as well as “The Little Mermaid,” “Space Jam” and “Oliver & Company.”
Also in pre-production for McGregor is the film “The Cow,” which will be directed by Marc Forster. The movie is about a French prisoner of war in Germany during World War II, and is a remake of the 1959 film “The Cow and I.” Forster has directed films such as “Finding Neverland,” “World War Z,” “Monster’s Ball” and the James Bond film “Quantum of Solace.”
McGregor’s most acclaimed role remains “Trainspotting.” The 1996 British film is ranked 164th on the Internet Movie Database.
The Scotland native has been part of the gossip news chain for his high-profile divorce from Eve Mavrakis which was finalized last year, and relationship with “Fargo” co-star Mary Elizabeth Winstead. The two co-starred on last year’s film “Birds of Prey.”
For those looking to catch up on some of McGregor’s finer acting performances from the past, here are 10 other notable films he starred in: “Doctor Sleep,” “Christopher Robin,” “The Ghost Writer,” “Angels & Demons,” “Miss Potter,” “The Impossible,” “T2 Trainspotting,” “Big Fish,” “Black Hawk Down,” and “Moulin Rouge!”
