Ewan McGregor

Ewan Gordon McGregor was born March 31, 1971 in Perth, at Royal Infirmary, Scotland and brought up in Crieff, 15 miles away, a 'haggis and heather' (small & traditional) town, also in Scotland.  His parents are father, James Charles Stewart McGregor and mother, Carol Diane McGregor (Lawson - maiden name) and his  brother, Colin McGregor.

McGregor credits his uncle for spawning his desire to be an actor.  He recalls when his uncle, Denis Lawson, visited, how different he was than others in the small town of Crieff.  His uncle, a musical/comedy star in London had, "long-hair, beads and a furry waistcoat..." adding, "I aspired to be as different as he seemed to me,"

During McGregor's childhood he enjoyed playing the French horn, drums, guitar, horse-riding, sub-aqua diving and swimming.  When he was at school, Morrison Academy, he did relatively little acting, but performed solos for the choir and the orchestra and recited poems at school revues. (his father James McGregor was a Career Advisor and PE Teacher and his older brother, Colin, was Head Boy)

While living in Crieff, Ewan worked at the stables at Crieff Hydro.  When he left school, encouraged by his parents, at 16, he worked as a stage-hand at Perth Theatre.  McGregor studied for a year at Kirkcaldly in Fife (1988), in 1989 he left Fife and enrolled at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama for a three-year course.  Right before graduating in 1992 he got the role of Private Mick Hopper in Dennis Potter's 1993 six-part Channel 4 (UK) series Lipstick on Your Collar and left to pursue his acting career.

McGregor has two daughters with Eve Mouvrakis, they are Esther Rose (2001) and Claire Mathilde (1996), in 2006 McGregor and his wife adopted a four year old girl from Mongolia.

 

 

Film

*Kurt Cobain* biopic~200? - Kurt Cobain (NOT CONFIRMED)

Cassandra's Dream~2008 -

Franklyn~2008 -

Gnomeo and Juliet~2008 - (voice)  Gnomeo

The Tourist~2007 - accounting consultant

I, Lucifer~2007 Unconfirmed

Un-named Woody Allen Film~2007 -

Un-named Hitchcock film~2007 - 

The Doctor, The Tornado and The Kentucky Kid~2006 - narrator

Stormbreaker~2006 - Ian Rider (Alex's superspy uncle)

Stay~2006 - 

Miss Potter~2006 - Norman Warne

Great Pretender, The~2006 - Lesley Grangely/Bonnie Prince Charlie

Scenes of a Sexual Nature~2006 - 

Sunset Boulevard~2006 - Joe Gillis

Island, The~2006 - Lincoln Six-Echo (see Actor Connections - Film)

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith~2005 - General Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi

Memoirs of Charlie Tucker, The~2005 - Unconfirmed

Robots~2005 - Rodney Copperbottom (see Actor Connections - Film)

Valiant~2005 -  (voice) Valiant

Flora Plum~2005 - Jake

Stay~2005 - Sam Foster

Big Fish~2003 - Young Edward Bloom (see Actor Connections - Film)

Down with Love~2003 - Catcher Block

Essence of Combat: Making Black Hawk Down~2003 (V) - Himself

Faster~2003 - Narrator

Young Adam~2003 - Joe Taylor (see Actor Connections - Film)

Solid Geometry~2002 -  (see Actor Connections - Film)

From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in Episode II~2002 (V) - Himself

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones~2002 - Obi-Wan Kenobi

Black Hawk Down~2001 - Grimes

R2-D2: Beneath the Dome~2001 (V) - Himself (uncredited)

Beginning: Making Episode I, The~2001 (V) - Himself

Moulin Rouge~2001 - Christian (see Actor Connections - Film)

Anno Domini~2000 - Jesus Christ (short film directed by Jeff Stark)

Film-Fest DVD: Issue 3 - Toronto~2000 - Stroller (Desserts)

Killing Priscilla~2000 (V) - Himself

Nora~2000 - James Joyce

Eye of the Beholder~1999 - Detective Stephen 'Lucky Legs/Lucky' Wilson (The Eye)/Frank

Rogue Trader~1999 - Nick Leeson

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace~1999 - Obi-Wan Kenobi

Desserts~1998 - Stroller

Welcome to Hollywood~1998 - Himself

Little Voice~1998 - Billy

Velvet Goldmine~1998 - Curt Wild

Nightwatch~1998 - Martin

Life Less Ordinary, A~1997 - Robert Lewis

Serpent's Kiss, The~1997 - Meneer Chrome

Brassed Off!~1996 - Andy Barrow (see Actor Connections - Film)

Emma~1996 - Frank Churchill

Pillow Book, The~1996 - Jerome

Trainspotting~1996 - Mark 'Rent-boy' Renton

Blue Juice~1995 - Dean Raymond

Shallow Grave~1994 - Alex Law

Being Human~1993 - Alvarez

 

Producer

Nora~2000 (co-producer)

 

TV 

JetSet~2006 (mini series) - narrator

The Broons~2005 - Narrator 12/30/05

Star Wars: Feel the Force~2005 - Himself

Parkinson~1971 - Himself 3/19/05

Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The~1992 - Himself 3/19/05

Blue Peter~1958 - Himself  3/14/05

Tonight Show With Jay Leno, The~1992 - Himself 10/19/04

Long Way Round~2004 - Himself (motorcyclist)

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (BBC)~2004 - himself/guest 10/1/04

Film '72~1972 - Himself 1/20/04

100 Greatest Musicals, The~2003 - Himself

Tinseltown TV~2002 - Himself 11/15/03

Pakinson~1971 - Himself 10/31/03

Nature~1982 - Himself in The Polar Bears of Churchill with Ewan McGregor (#20.18) 5/19/02

Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The~1992 - Himself 5/16/02

Hollywood Greats, The~1977 - Himself in Steve McQueen 4/2/02

Revealed with Jules Asner~2001 - Himself in Ewan McGregor 1/16/02

Solid Geometry~2002  - Phil

2002 MTV Movie Awards~2002  - Himself

R2-D2: Beneath the Dome~2001 - Himself

Night Club of Your Dreams: The Making of Moulin Rouge, The~2001  - Himself/Christian

Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The~1992 - Himself 11/28/01

Parkinson~1971 - Himself 10/13/01

Ruby~1997 - Himself (#4.9) 11/6/00

Comic Relief: The Record Breaker~1999 - Himself

ER~1994 - Duncan Stewart, convenience store gunman in episode Long Way Around, The (#3.15) 2/13/1997

An Audience with Elton John~1997 - Himself

Tales from the Crypt~1989 - Ford in episode Cold War (#7.6) 5/31/1996

Film '72~1972 - Himself 2/5/96

Karakoke~1996  mini series - Young Man

TFI Friday~1996 - guest 1996

Doggin' Around~1994  - Tom Clayton

Kavanagh QC~1994 - David Armstrong in episode Nothing But The Truth (#1.1) 1/3/95
Scarlet & Black~1993  mini series - Julien Sorel

Family Style~1993  - Jimmy

Lipstick on Your Collar~1993  - Private Mick Hopper (see Actor Connections - TV)

 

TV Commercials

TV channel FilmFour~2006 - Tomato (along with Judi Dench who was dressed as a Lobster) July 2006

 

TV Director

Tube Tales~1999  (segment 'Bone')

 

TV Producer

Long Way Roung~2004 (exec. prod)

 

TV Commercials

Aeon English School~2002

Bobson's Jeans (Japan)~1997 - TV & print ads

Roots~2003 - Japanese soft drink 

Virgin Atlantic Airways  - Voice for animated 'Flight Attendant'

 

Theater

Moulin Rouge!~2007 - Christian (London, UK)

A Love Letter to Dan: A Tribute to Dan Crawford~2006 - reader (Kingshead Theatre, Islington, UK) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)

Guys and Dolls~2005 - Sky Masterson  (Donmar Warehouse, London, UK)

Play What I Wrote, The~2003 - Mystery Guest Star  (Lyceum Theatre, NY)

Little Malcolm and his Struggle Against the Eunuchs~1998/99 - Malcolm (Hampstead Theatre, UK) (see Actor Connections - Theatre)

What the Butler Saw~1992 - Nick (Nicholas Beckett) (Salisbury Playhouse, UK)

As You Like It~ - Orlando (Guildhall Production)

 

Radio

Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show: Bounty Hunter, The~2004 - Himself

Book At Bedtime~2002 - reading Chekhov

 

CDs

Unexpected Dreams: Songs from the Stars with the Los Angeles Philharmonic~2006 - Ewan sings: Sade's The Sweetest Gift (see Actor Connections - CDs)

 

Music Videos

Texas (Band)~1997 - song: Black-Eyed Boy 

 

Other

Calendar~1998 'March' for Pirelli

 

Books on or about Ewan McGregor:

Ewan McGregor : A Force to Be Reckoned With~2000 by Laura Jackson 
Ewan McGregor : An Illustrated Story~1999  by David Bassom 

Ewan McGregor: The Unofficial Biography~1999  by Martin Noble
Ewan McGregor : Rising to the Stars~1999  by James Hatfield

Ewan McGregor (Galaxy of Superstars)~1999  by Veda Boyd Jones
Ewan McGregor~1999   by Brian Pendreigh
Shooting Star: The Ewan McGregor Story~1999  by Janine Pourroy

Ewan McGregor : From Junkie to Jedi~1999  by Brian J. Robb, Brain J. Robb
Ewan McGregor~1999  by Chris Nickson

Ewan McGregor : The Unauthorized Biography~1999 by Billy Adams

 

Awards, Honors and Nominations
American Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Film Awards (Saturn):

Nom 2000 Best Supporting Actor for The Phantom Menace

BAFTA Scotland:

Rec'd  2004 - Best Actor for Young Adam

Rec'd 1997 - Best Actor for Trainspotting

Blockbuster Entertainment Awards:

Nom 2000 Favorite Actor - Action/Science fiction for The Phantom Menace

Blue Peter Badge

Rec'd 

British Film Institute:

1997 - Actor of the Year shared with Sir Ian McKellan

Dinard Film Festival:

Rec'd 1994 Best Actor for Shallow Grave (shared)

Emmy Awards:

Nom 1997 Outstanding Guest actor in a Drama Series for ER - The Long Way Around (Duncan Stewart)

Empire Awards (UK):

Rec'd 1998, 1997, 1996 - Best Actor

Evening Standard Awards:

Rec'd 1997 - Best Actor

Guild of Regional Film Writers:

Rec'd 1997 - Robert Shelton Award for outstanding contribution to the British Film Industry

Hollywood Film Festival Awards:

Rec'd 2001 Actor of the Year

Lastminute.com theatre awards

Rec'd 2005 Best Actor for Guys and Dolls

Laurence Olivier Awards:

Nom 2006 Best Actor for Guys and Dolls

London Critics' Circle Film Awards:

Rec'd 1997 - Best Actor for Trainspotting, Brassed Off! and Emma

MTV Movie Awards:

Nom 1998 - Best Dance Sequence for A Life Less Ordinary

Nom 1997 - Best Breakthrough Performance for Trainspotting

Scottish People's Film Festival:

Rec'd 1997 - Best Actor

Screen Actor's Guild Awards:

Nom 1999  Outstanding Performance by a Cast for Little Voice (shared)

Variety Club for Great Britain Award:

Rec'd 1997 - Best Actor for Trainspotting

Rec'd 1997 - Best Newcomer

WhatsOnStage.com Awards

Rec'd 2006 Best Actor in a Musical for Guys and Dolls

 

Miscellany:

2006 - #9 in the list of top 20 British Heroes.  The list is compiled by Thorpe Park.

 

2006 - Will be getting on his motorcycle again this time from his own Scotland to South Africa's Cape Town.

 

Glasgow Film Theatre (Glasgow, Scotland) has seat DO81 dedicated to him and his uncle Denis Lawson:  "For Ewan McGregor and Denis Lawson. Talent without frontiers"

 

2005 - supported the G8 and C8 awareness campaigns to end poverty.

 

2005-6? McGregor would like to take another motorcycle trek, this time across Africa.

 

2004 McGregor became an ambassador for UNICEF

 

2004 #30 on Empire (online) poll of All-Time Sexiest Movie Stars

 

2004 auctioned off the motorcycle that he rode from London to New York for UNICEF

 

McGregor's Ducati (motorcycle) was purchased for him by George Lucas.

 

McGregor started a campaign to open the first cinema for sick kids in 2003.  He made a commercial (for Scottish theatres) to raise donations for the project  to build a 50-seat MedCinema at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill, Glasgow.

 

Formed British film production company 'Natural Nylon Entertainment' with Jude Law, Jonny Lee Miller, Sean Pertwee and Sadie Frost.  One of their first projects: Marlowe starring McGregor and Law.  He left the company in 2002.

 

Received an honorary degree from the University of Ulster, Ireland in July of 2001

 

Originally up for lead role in The Beach (Danny Boyle and John Hodge both collaborated with McGregor on other films

 

#7 in The Sunday Times' 2001 (London, UK)  top 500 earners list in UK.  Neeson was #4.

 

#9 on '100 Greatest Movie Stars' BBC Channel 4

 

#8 in Orange Film Survey in 2001 of Greatest British Actors

 

#36 in Empire's list of Top 100 Movie Stars of all Time (1997)

 

Jude Law was his former roommate and is a good friend of the family

 

Starred in a production that, his uncle, Denis Lawson directed called,  Little Malcolm and his Struggle Against the Eunuchs

 

Moulin Rouge got a 5 minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival

 

Traveled to Morocco to perform a one-line role as Alvarez  in Being Human (Robin Williams)

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