A Look At Ewan McGregor's Life And Career Through The Years

Although he had already appeared in several films and TV series in the U.K., Ewan McGregor's breakout role was in 1996's "Trainspotting." Right away, the actor knew that he was meant to play the part of Mark Renton in the adaptation of Irvine Welsh's novel. "The idea of not getting to play that part, the idea of someone else getting to play that part, was too much to bear," McGregor told British GQ. The only problem was that he was in great physical shape and it was difficult to picture him as an underweight slouch with a heroin addiction. But McGregor was committed to securing the role — he stopped consuming beer and dairy products and subsequently lost 26 lbs. The writers, producer, and director, Danny Boyle, were impressed, and the part was his.

McGregor also did a fair amount of research to get into character for the role. While filming a different movie in Luxemburg, he spent time outside a local train station where people would gather and use heroin, taking note of their body language prior to and after administering the drug. He also read "Iced" by actor, Ray Shell, which focused on a character's experiences with drug addiction. "It was really useful to me into the sort of mindset of somebody that doesn't want to be taking drugs but can't stop," he noted to British GQ. McGregor's efforts paid off, as "Trainspotting" was both critically acclaimed and loved by audiences.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Die-hard Ewan McGregor fans will certainly remember his exceptional performance as Christian in the 2001 Baz Luhrmann musical, "Moulin Rouge!" The role required the actor to sing at a level that he wasn't quite used to. "I had never sung like I was expected to sing for 'Moulin Rouge,' where the singing was a part of the storytelling and not just part of the character," he told MTV. "I've only ever sung as a character ... where if my singing wasn't very good, it didn't matter."

Adding to the intimidation was the fact that McGregor's voice was completely burnt out when it came time to audition for the role. "I was a drinker and a smoker and I was doing this huge play, you know, eight times a week, and [I had] totally wrecked my throat," he recalled in an interview with GQ. "...My voice was shot to pieces." Still, McGregor sang a U2 song for the audition and passed with flying colors. 

Apparently, McGregor had previously auditioned for Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet" years earlier, and while he didn't get the part (had he once again lost out to Leonardo DiCaprio?) the director remembered him. "He saw whatever it is he wanted to see," McGregor explained humbly to the outlet.

In 2017, Ewan McGregor starred in Season 3 of "Fargo," playing brothers Emmit and Ray Stussy. But this was not the first time the actor played dual roles in a project. Twelve years earlier, he played both Lincoln Six Echo and Tom Lincoln in the Michael Bay sci-fi thriller, "The Island." In 2012, he then played both Jesus and the devil in "Last Days in the Desert." 

During an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," he explained that the trick to playing two characters is to do so in a way that the audience never thinks to acknowledge that both performances are coming from one actor. Comparing his previous dual performances with his "Fargo" roles, he elaborated on the additional challenges of his acclaimed performance, stating, "In this case, I'm playing these two brothers and I've got more to do [opposite] myself in this series than in either of those two films."

McGregor rose to that challenge in "Fargo," but it took more than just great acting. Once again, he had to transform his physical appearance, gaining weight and shaving his head so he could more easily fit into the two characters' different wigs. He even wore prosthetic makeup to give the illusion of a wider nose and neck. Still, it was worth the effort, as his performance received great critical acclaim, including an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe win.

Although Ewan McGregor's talents may lie in performance, acting is not his only passion. The "Halston" star is also an avid motorcyclist — so much so that he's been on three global journeys on his bike, as of this writing. The actor and his buddy, Charley Boorman have embarked on these trips as a duo, and filmed their adventures for three different docuseries.

2004's "Long Way Round," 2007's "Long Way Down," and 2020's "Long Way Up" followed the friends on three separate journeys covering ground throughout the U.S., Europe, East Asia, South, and Central America, and Africa. "[We wanted] for the television series merely to be an account of the trip and nothing more, not to ... ramp things up for the TV audience," McGregor said in an interview. The first two trips were also documented in books co-authored by McGregor and followed the same creative ethos. 

Clearly, motorcycling is a huge part of the actor's life outside of Hollywood. Aside from his world travels, he rides as a regular form of transportation, and his collection of vintage motorbikes is enviable, to say the least. McGregor owns everything from Harleys to Moto Guzzis to BMWs, and he prefers to work on them himself rather than employing a mechanic.

The role that Ewan McGregor is perhaps the proudest of is that of a loving father to his five children. The actor's son, Laurie, with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, was born in 2021, but McGregor spent quite a long time before that as a girl dad. He shares four daughters, Clara, Esther, Jamyan, and Anouk, with his ex-wife, Eve Mavrakis.

Being a father to four girls may have given McGregor some perspective when it comes to women's issues. In a 2020 interview with Today, the actor discussed his role as the villainous Roman Sionis in the DC flick, "Birds of Prey," and how the film reflected upon various forms of sexism and gendered violence against women. "We have horrible moments [of misogyny] in this film, but we also have this sort of general, mundane, everyday misogyny that women have to put up with," he stated. "... We're learning all the time, men, we've got a lot of catching up to do."

 McGregor went on to highlight the importance of female-driven narratives, citing his daughters as a good reason to want to see changes made. "I've got four girls myself [and] I'm lucky to be working in an industry where we're aware of how things were and how things need to be," he explained.

When Ewan McGregor split from his first wife, it put a strain on his relationships with his children. His daughter, Clara McGregor took it especially hard, publicly shading her father as well as his now-wife, Mary Elizabeth Winstead. The model later apologized but there was still tension, which McGregor acknowledged in an interview with GQ, proclaiming, "A divorce in a family is a bomb going off in everyone's life — my children's lives."

So, when Clara approached her father with a screenplay she'd developed, it seemed like an opportunity to mend the relationship. The film, "You Sing Loud, I Sing Louder," is a fictionalized story based on their relationship. "She tells me that she'd come up with an idea about writing about us. At first, I was a bit nervous. I didn't know what that meant," Ewan told GQ. He elaborated that he was ultimately won over by the quality of his daughter's writing and that the overall process of making the film helped to repair their bond.

Clara has since posted cute throwback pics of her and her dad on Instagram, as well as a sweet photo of her holding her half-brother, Laurie – Ewan's child with Winstead. As of November 2022, the film, which also stars the father and daughter, was in post-production. Between his prolific career, his motorcycling adventures, and a now happy family, it would appear that the beloved actor has it all figured out.