After working with Ewan McGregor on his first three films, Danny Boyle chose Leonardo DiCaprio to succeed him in the thriller The Beach. A decision that had serious consequences for the actor and his favorite director.
In the 1990s, after appearing in Danny Boyle’s first three feature films – and notably in the memorable Trainspotting – the careers of Ewan McGregor and that of the British filmmaker seemed irrevocably linked.
However, after the release of the romantic comedy A life less ordinary in 1997, the two men did not work together at all for 20 years. As they both confided later, if their paths separated for so long, it was following a decision made by Danny Boyle on his fourth feature film: the thriller La Plage.
Indeed, at a time when the whole world had its eyes turned towards Leonardo DiCaprio (just after the release of Titanic), the director had decided to entrust him with the leading role in his film for the benefit of Ewan McGregor, who nevertheless thought be chosen.
“I handled this very badly, and I apologized to Ewan”Boyle said in 2017 on The Graham Norton Show. (relayed by Vanity Fair). “It was a misunderstanding and mishandling of the situation.”
5 years earlier, interviewed by Digital Spythe filmmaker already regretted the way things had gone between him and McGregor:
“We didn’t treat him well, I have to be honest. We didn’t behave in the best way. You learn [de ses erreurs], and we apologize. We made this film called The Beach, and we gave Ewan the impression that we were going to choose it, which we didn’t. We cast another wonderful actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, who was adorable. They’re both amazing.”
20th Century Fox
As for Ewan McGregor, who admits having been affected by the situation, he especially deplores this long period without working with Boyle:
“It’s a big regret for me that it lasted so long, and it’s really a shame that we haven’t worked together all these years”he had thus declared, always in the Graham Norton Show.
“I was in Danny’s first three films, and then I was not asked to be in the fourth, The Beach. But the problem was not really the film, it was rather our friendship.”
After two decades of chaining major projects on their own (and in particular the Star Wars saga and the character of Obi-Wan for McGregor, a role he almost refused), the two friends finally reconciled and reunited to offer a sequel to their famous Trainspotting, in 2017.
(Re)discover the trailer for “T2 Trainspotting”…