Ewan McGregor speaks about landing the starring role of the century.

Ewan McGregor was six when he was given his first light sabre and 28 when he got his last. On both occasions he spent a lot of time running and going, "Zoooohoom, zoooohoom!" with a determined grin on his face as he fought the dark side aided by The Force. Only once he was playing with his mates in Crief in Scotland, and the second time he was being filmed on the secret set of one of the most eagerly awaited movies of our times: The Phantom Menace.

Ewan the child was taken along to the cinema to see Star Wars because his uncle Denis Lawson was in the film playing a fighter pilot called Wedge Antilles (who saved Luke Skywalker's life in the first attack on the Death Star. Later, the two would colllobrate together, the uncle directing the nephew on stage, but back then it was something to look up to. "It was the first time I saw my uncle on screen," McGregor remembers. "And that's what I was most excited about." The magic of Star Wars didn't leave him. He got himself a light sabre and fell in love with Leia (of course).

I used to know every line in the first movie; my friends use to watch it every weekend up until I was 12, 13. I still love wacthing it and it's cracking. Star Wars films have not ages at all, they are untouchable, fantastic."

When he landed the role, he was briefly concerned that he might stay frozen in time, cast forever like Obi Wan. "I asked a lot of people I respect what they thought. But it's not some shit like Independence Day. Star Wars is an entity of it's own. I am at ease with people not accepting Obi-Wan playing a drug addict."

-Sasha Stojanovic