Actor Ewan McGregor is best known for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels. McGregor was a fresh commodity when he debuted in the franchise and the role made him a household name. However, one fellow Star Wars alum tried convincing McGregor to stay away from the space opera franchise.
During an interview, McGregor spoke about his uncle, actor Denis Lawson, who played the role of Wedge Antilles in the original trilogy. At the same time, McGregor admitted that his uncle tried warning him about the perils of working in the franchise, which he admitted only pushed him to accept the role. Here is what McGregor had to say about Lawson’s advice.
Star Wars Actor Denis Lawson Warned Ewan McGregor to Stay Away From the Franchise
Actor Denis Lawson played the role of Wedge Antilles, a friend of Luke Skywalker, and a rebel pilot in the original trilogy of Star Wars movies. Lawson is also the uncle of actor Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy.
During an interview with Today, McGregor admitted that while Lawson was his hero, his uncle was dismissive about him joining the Star Wars franchise. McGregor stated Lawson did not want his nephew to face the same scrutiny from the media and fans he faced.
He was one of the people who said, ‘Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it.’ And then the nearer I got to it, the more I wanted to do it.
McGregor made the above statement (via People), explaining how Lawson’s dismissive attitude ultimately pushed him towards accepting the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Furthermore, McGregor also attempted to explain his uncle’s frustrations with the franchise.
The actor stated that Lawson had amassed a massive fan following for his role despite having only worked for a couple of weeks, filming inside a cardboard spaceship. Hence, McGregor presumed Lawson was annoyed at the irony behind his role’s popularity.
Denis Lawson Voiced His Frustrations With the Star Wars Franchise
From McGregor’s words, it is evident that despite achieving fame for his brief appearance in Star Wars, Lawson was not very happy with his stint in the space opera franchise, primarily because of the scrutiny.
During a 2017 interview with Scottish Field, Lawson voiced his issue with the franchise, explaining why he was annoyed at the media and fan attention he received. Lawson explained that he was asked to reprise his role for the sequel trilogy but could not.
Lawson’s turning down a return to the franchise resulted in rumors that he disliked the newer entries. As a result, the actor had to set the record straight about his views on the franchise, stating:
I just wasn’t able to do the last one and the only thing I’ve ever said was that I get bored with journalists asking me about Star Wars and somehow that has been transposed over into me hating the films somehow.
From Lawson’s words, it is clear that the actor did not hate his time working on the space opera franchise. Instead, he did not wish to talk to the media about what he considered a small part.
Lawson eventually returned to the franchise for the final installment of the sequel trilogy, 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, playing Wedge Antilles after almost four decades of absence from the saga. He also reprised the role in a voice capacity in an episode of Star Wars: Visions.
The Star Wars movies are streaming on Disney+.
