Ewan McGregor
Empire Magazine June 2002
by Alan Morrison

There's a theory going around in certain quarters that Star Wars is all about sex. That Anakin Skywalker turns to the dark side simply because he can't get it on with Amidala. Hence, the frustrated Jedi will start wearing black, panting heavily behind an S&M mask and blowing up planets with an orgasmic bang because he can't get his leg over. So we put this hypothesis to someone in the know. "But that can't be the case," counters Ewan McGregor "because she's got to give birth to Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. So he's obviously had a go at her. Unless, of course….it was me…" The man who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi trails off into a wicked laugh.

When Empire meets up with McGregor, it's a galaxy far, far (oh you know the rest) from the sparse bluescreen sets of Episode II. We join him in his trailer (read, caravan- a kind of Mini-Me of Winnebagos) in the middle of a puddle-spotted car park in central Glasgow, where he's on his second day of shooting low-budget drama, Young Adam. Just now, still decked out in his '50's costume (a grey jumper-trousers combo), he's remembering his reaction on reading the script of the Star Wars sequel.

" I thought it was much better than the first script," he says. "On Episode I, I was frustrated, in that there was only so much we were allowed to do. And I felt that it was very flat. I thought, even in amongst the political stuff, there was more room for exploring the characters, more room for humour. That's something that's definitely changed in the second one. We had much more freedom to colour the scenes. Obi-Wan kenobi has become much funnier- I hope -drier and more human. There's quite a lot of humour shared between me and Hayden in a way that there should have been between Liam (Neeson) and I, but didn't happen."

It helps that Obi-Wan has more to do this time round than just fall back on what McGregor has dubbed the Jedi Frown. "There's more action for me," McGregor agrees. "It was a nice step to not be the apprentice, and now be the master. To have scenes with Sam Jackson and Yoda and the leaders of the Jedi order, and then be in charge of Anakin. And I get to f** off on a Dick Barton detective story in the middle, in a fantastic spaceship that I've waited all my life to fly." It's tempting to imagine that the master-pupil relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin continued off the set, with McGregor giving newcomer Christensen some advice about the deluge of
fame that is about to fall on his shoulders. But not so.

"It's not for me to say, really," Mcgregor insists. "He's living his own life, and he'll deal with it in the way he deals with it. What was quite interesting about working with him was that I saw in him some of the frustrations that I'd had with the bluescreen work, because it's very tricky and can be very soul-destroying. So I was there for him then, if he needed anything, just that I understood. I love Hayden. I think he's brilliant. He's a fantastic bloke. He played with my daughter (Clara, five) for hours on end, and she was very fond of him.
And that's a great sign of somebody."

Of course things will come to a head between Obi-Wan and Anakin in Episode III. George Lucas isn't giving anything away- not even
to his lead actors- but McGregor has a few ideas about what the future will hold. "I don't know what will bring us to the point where we
end up having this huge fight," he admits. "But it is fighting for the good of the universe because, by that point, it must be clear to Obi-Wan the damage that's going to be done by Anakin if he goes to the dark side. You know, there's a lot of politics hidden in the films, which is quite cleverly disugised and doesn't get in the way of children enjoying the space-adventure, fairy-tale movie. Things like the corruption in the Senate. I'll be interested to see, by Episode III, what kind of politics we're mirroring with what George W. Bush is up
to next year." Before then, though, there are several tests for Obi-Wan to undergo in Episode II. But the toughest isn't coming face-to-
face with Jango Fett. Nor is it, from the actor's viewpoint, coping with bluescreen nothingness. No, the real test is trying to be one of the coolest guys in the uinverse when you're sporting th Jedi mullet.

"Oh f*** that," groans the clean-shaven McGregor. "Well, at first I thought, 'It's a mullet,' you know? And, of course, I have to have a beard because Alec Guinness wore a beard. So I've got quite a big beard in this film- or at least, a shaggy beard, which in the third one I believe will be more trimmed down." And there's a reason for that right? "George thinks that it looks more heroic because George wears a trimmed beard. So it's getting closer and closer to looking like George. And I'm sure that George has worn a mullet in the past. I can't remember. I know he's always had this kind of Mr. Whippy quiff, but whether he's had a mullet….I would suppose he probably did. But it's also a classic hero-type haircut….Or is it just a big mullet?"

Maybe now is not the time to get the worried about the Jedi look. Maybe we should wait until the costume test for Episode III involves Obi-Wan in a very Lucas-alike blue checked shirt. "And a pair of jeans, and some training shoes, and a trimmed beard," laughs McGregor. "Then Obi-Wan has gone all the way. Maybe you see him relaxing back at his space pad, and that's what he's wearing." Hey it's not impossible. In fact, there are plenty of examples of a less intense Obi-Wan Kenobi in Episode II. Like when he and Anakin hit Coruscant nightspot, The Outlander. Although, in context they're actually in the middle of a chase, hot on the heels of assassin
Zam Wesell, who's just tried to kill Padme and has ducked into the club in question.

McGregor takes up the tale. "Whereas the bar scene in the original Star Wars- in Episode IV- was like the Wild West, full of gangsters and vagabonds, this one is sexier. There are more scantily-clad girls walking around and it's much more of a pulling club. Obi-Wan goes up to the bar and has a shot of something blue- I don't know what it is. Space gin or something. It certainly struck me as somewhere that was like a pick-up joint."

Which begs the question: how good would Obi-Wan be at chatting up the laydeez? "Pretty good, I think." And, if there were someone he particularly fancied, but kept giving him the knockback, would he resort to the old Jedi mind trick?

"No. Well, I would have thought not," says McGregor, scratching hs chin. "He's quite the gentleman, Obi-Wan. But I don't think he'd have any problems pulling if he wanted to. You know, as a Jedi, he's not allowed to fall in love or get involved with that. So I suppose
by now, he's just got really big balls…"