The Star Wars franchise is recognized as one of the most iconic and culturally significant film series ever produced. It has not only achieved mainstream success but has also attained a unique and unparalleled status in the realm of media. Ewan McGregor was a big part of it but it appears he went method while sinking down a toilet for a scene in Trainspotting.
Many fans concur that the original Star Wars trilogy, which includes A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, is the standout trilogy within the entire saga. Its lasting influence is apparent, as it continues to shape and inspire various forms of entertainment across all mediums even to this day.
Ewan McGregor Went Full Method Acting While Doing A Horrific Scene in Trainspotting
Ewan McGregor shared a behind-the-scenes story to Vanity Fair from a scene involving water, expressing reluctance to reveal too much detail but hinting at an amusing incident. He described how his character went “down the toilet” in the scene in Trainspotting and mentioned a U-Bend, indicating a specific shot where his character disappears into the toilet. McGregor then recalled a moment where he suggested doing another take to go “around the U-Bend,” leading to his feet turning around at the end of the shot.
”I don’t know that I wanna pull the curtain back, from this scene you know, all I can say is I went down the toilet. So I went down the toilet, and as you can see, a toilet has a U-Bend, right? So we did this shot a few times, and then everyone was happy with it, and we were about to move on, and I had just gone straight in the toilet and disappeared, and I suddenly said to Danny, I went, “Can we do one more take? Because I think I need to go around the U-Bend”, and he went, “What?” And then if you play it now, you can see, as I go down here, now I go around the U-Bend, and my feet turn around, so I can come up the U-Bend, and that came to me once we were doing it, so that’s why my feet turn around at the end there.”
Reflecting on working underwater, McGregor highlighted the peaceful and controlled environment, mentioning the quietness and the need to manage breath length.
”It is always interesting working underwater. It’s nice ’cause it’s so quiet, you know, it’s very controlled under there, it has to be, and you’ve got the length of your breath, and at this point I was, I mean, so I was younger, oh mind you, I was smoking a couple of packs of cigarettes a day, but I had much better lung capacity, I could stay under for ages. So we got some nice, it was just nice and peaceful.”
Despite admitting to smoking heavily at the time, he noted his better lung capacity in his younger years, allowing him to stay submerged for extended periods and creating a serene experience underwater.
Ewan McGregor Was Hesitant to Portray Obi-Wan Kenobi
Portraying Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars universe catapulted Ewan McGregor’s career, as he became the most recognizable role in his professional life. However, initially, the actor did not feel drawn to the character and doubted his ability to pull it off. McGregor shared his reservations about taking up the role with Variety.
He mentioned that, at the time, he didn’t believe he should star in a big-budget studio film. Instead, he felt more comfortable working on Danny Boyle’s smaller projects like Trainspotting and The Beach (for which he was initially cast in the lead role).
“It wasn’t a done deal for me. I didn’t think it was at all who I was. I believed, at that point, I was a Danny Boyle actor. ‘The Beach’ was more important and I meant it, it wasn’t flippant. I did ask a lot of people for advice.”
I am happy that I am this character for a lot of people, but when these films came out, they were so disliked. That was hard. The first one was panned and we still had to make another two! It was weird to be in a film that was hammered.”
Ewan McGregor also acknowledged the negative reception to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and the awkwardness of starring in two more films in the franchise after experiencing fan backlash.
