Ewan Gordon McGregor (; born 31 March 1971)
is a
Scottish actor, singer, and adventurer who has had success in mainstream,
indie and
art house films. He is perhaps best known for his role as Mark Renton in the 1996 film
Trainspotting, his portrayal of the young
Obi-Wan Kenobi in the
Star Wars prequel trilogy, and his role as the romantic penniless writer Christian in the 2001 film
Moulin Rouge!
In 2009, he appeared in the films
I Love You Phillip Morris and
Amelia, and portrayed the Camerlengo Patrick McKenna in the film adaption of
Angels & Demons. Aside from his film work, McGregor has starred in theatre productions of
Guys and Dolls. He also appeared in television series such as
The Scarlet and the Black,
Lipstick On Your Collar,
Tales from the Crypt, and
ER. He was ranked No. 36 in
Empire magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.
Early life
McGregor was born in the
Perth Royal Infirmary, was brought up in the nearby small town of
Crieff, and went to the independent fee-paying school
Morrison's Academy. His mother, Carol Diane (
née Lawson), is a
teacher and school administrator, and his father, James Charles Stuart McGregor, is a
physical education teacher.
His mother is the sister of actor
Denis Lawson,
the sister-in-law of the late actress
Sheila Gish, and the step-aunt of the late
Lou Gish. McGregor attended
Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1988 to study drama.
Six months before graduating, he won a leading role in
Dennis Potter's six-part BBC series
Lipstick on Your Collar,
and has been working steadily ever since.
