Ewan McGregor explains in detail why he almost passed on playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels. After the original Star Wars trilogy was a resounding success in the late 1970s and early '80s, it would be nearly 20 years before George Lucas returned to the franchise with Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The film takes place before the events of A New Hope and tell the story of two Jedi who discover a young boy who may be able to bring balance to the Force. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was not received well by critics but was a smash hit at the box office, with two sequels following in the years after.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Played by Alec Guinness in A New Hope, Obi-Wan become one of Star Wars' most iconic characters. Although something of a hermit in the 1977 film, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace depicts a much younger, apprentice version of the character, played by McGregor. McGregor would reprise the role in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, quickly becoming a fan favorite because of how he honored Guinness' performance while also making the role his own. McGregor recently returned to the role for the first time since 2005 for Disney+'s hit Obi-Wan Kenobi series, but now recalls that he almost didn't join the Star Wars universe at all.
In a new interview on Jason Bateman's Smartless podcast, McGregor recalls that, following Trainspotting, his 1996 collaboration with Danny Boyle, he envisioned a very different career trajectory for himself. The actor explains that, in the mid-to-late '90s, he saw himself as more of an indie actor, jokingly referring to himself as more "urban grunge" and not someone who would become involved in a massive franchise production. Ultimately, however, the allure of Star Wars and his childhood relationship with the films convinced him to agree to play Obi-Wan. Check out McGregor's full comment below:
“I really had to think about it. Because it came quite shortly after that ‘Trainspotting’ period, and by that time I was so full of myself. I was like, ‘I am Danny Boyle’s actor. I am f—ing urban grunge. I am the Oasis of the British movie industry,’ and then when ‘Star Wars’ came along, I felt, ‘I don’t know if I want to do this. This isn’t me.’ I suppose I was worried about type-casting or something like that. It’s just going to be so big, I think. I was so into being this sort of antihero. An indie British actor, is what I felt like. I felt like that defined me.
“In the end, it just got closer and closer. I remember doing recalls and screen tests and then meeting George [Lucas]. It got down to two or three of us. By that time, I was just so attached to the idea of it from when I was a kid. To get a chance to be that character and play the younger Alec Guinness is pretty awesome.
“I was almost grateful to be involved in something that big and to be part of the legend of it, because I loved it. When I was a kid, I loved those films. I was six or seven when the first one came out. It’s in me somehow.”
Now, McGregor is as much Obi-Wan Kenobi as Guinness is for many fans, but the actor's comment makes clear that this almost wasn't the case. Trainspotting, a black-comedy set in Scotland, features McGregor as Renton, a heroin addict who attempts to clean up his act. While it's hard to imagine turning down the opportunity to do a Star Wars film, it's clear that McGregor saw Trainspotting as more representative of the types of movies he was interested in doing moving forward.
Of course, for as well-known as McGregor became because of Trainspotting, starring in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace put him in front of global audiences like never before. The three Star Wars prequels were not well-liked by critics at the time of their release, but fans have since rallied behind the movies, with McGregor's performance often cited as a particular highlight. While McGregor might have been unsure about taking on the role at first, the actor has been vocal about his love of the franchise in more recent years, and Star Wars fans around the world are evidently happy that he made the decision to play Obi-Wan.