Culture news Ewan McGregor Didn’t Want to Play Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars and He Had a Good Reason
If Ewan McGregor today seems very proud to have played Obi-Wan Kenobi, the actor recently explained that he had been rather reluctant about the idea of playing the legendary Jedi before joining the Star universe Wars.
A heavy responsibility
With the prelogy, Ewan McGregor stood out wonderfully in the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a role that he ended up reprising with the series dedicated to the character and broadcast on Disney+ in 2022. But originally, the The actor didn’t see himself playing the character at all.
It must be said that joining the Star Wars universe is not within everyone’s reach and involves heavy responsibilities. With such a large fan base and often difficult and long filming, Star Wars represents a major challenge that can be difficult to take on. Recently, actress Daisy Ridley – who plays Rey in the latest trilogy – spoke on the subject, and explained that she felt helpless given the scale of her role. In the case of Ewan McGregor, it was more a matter of taste that initially restrained him.
A role that did not fit his career
Recently present in Sweden for the Gothenburg festival, Ewan McGregor was interviewed by Variety. The opportunity for the actor to look back on his career and the role of Obi-Wan. The actor thus admitted to having been reluctant about the idea of joining the Star Wars universe and the filming of the prelogy, in particular because the role did not suit him.
This was no small feat for me. I didn’t think it matched who I was at all. I thought, at that point, that I was a Danny Boyle actor. The Beach was more important and I really meant it, it wasn’t casual. I asked a lot of people for advice. (…) I’m happy to play this character for a lot of people, but when these films came out, they weren’t appreciated for their true value. It was hard. The first one was rejected and we had to make two more! It was weird to play in a saga that was criticized.
A few years after Trainspotting, Ewan McGregor was actually supposed to play the lead role in Danny Boyle’s film The Beach, a role which ultimately went to Leonardo Dicaprio. The filmmaker and his favorite actor were also at odds after this last minute change, which still allowed Ewan McGregor to change his mind and shoot in the Star Wars prelogy, directed by George Lucas. A choice which made him doubt, but which ultimately paid off, especially given the popularity of the character today.