 One of Scotland's most notable actors since the early 1990s, Ewan McGregor, encouraged by his uncle, actor Denis Lawson, studied theatre arts at Fife College, Kirkcaldy and drama at the Guildhall School. His first major screen role was in Dennis Potter's TV six-part series Lipstick On Your Collar (Channel 4, 1993), leading to subsequent TV work, most notably as Julien Sorel in Scarlet and Black (BBC, 1993). His first film role was a small part in Bill Forsyth's Being Human (1994), a box-office failure. Further TV roles preceded his most notable early film appearance as the sardonic journalist Alex in Danny Boyle's Shallow Grave (1994). The production team he worked with on Shallow Grave cast him as heroin-addict Renton in Trainspotting (d. Boyle, 1996), the role that established his screen persona as an audacious, likeable rogue. McGregor's memorable performance in Trainspotting, an international box-office success, led to other major film roles in Emma (UK/US, d. Douglas McGrath, 1996), Brassed Off (UK/US, d. Mark Herman, 1996), in Peter Greenaway's The Pillow Book (UK/Netherlands/France/Luxembourg, 1996), A Life Less Ordinary (d. Boyle, 1997), Velvet Goldmine (UK/US, d. Todd Haynes, 1998), Little Voice (UK/US, d. Herman, 1998) and Rogue Trader (d. James Dearden, 1999). In these, McGregor presents himself as a versatile actor who refuses to be typecast. His much-publicised antipathy to Hollywood did not prevent his accepting the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace (US, d. George Lucas, 1999). McGregor co-produced Nora (UK/Germany/Italy/Ireland, d. Pat Murphy, 2000), as well as playing the role of James Joyce, and starred in Baz Luhrmann's musical Moulin Rouge (Australia/US, 2001). He is married to French film production designer Eve Mavrakis. Bibliography
Brian Pendreigh, Ewan McGregor (1998, Sarah Street) Brian McFarlane, Encyclopedia of British Film
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FILM & TV CREDITS
