Ewan McGregor

[princess 1,712]

Ewan McGregor's 'Star Wars' Depression Led to Boozingimdb.com<strong>Movie star Ewan McGregor has admitted to binging on alcohol in order to cope with the depression brought on by his role in the Star Wars prequels</strong>. The Scottish actor saw his career skyrocket when he played the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the hit franchise, but soon felt the pressure of being an international movie star. This fueled the Moulin Rouge actor's hatred of the George Lucas - helmed movies - and he began drinking heavily to get through the intense publicity. Ewan admits, "I used to get drunk before meeting journalists. I thought it would get me through. But then it just leads to you saying things that you wished you'd never said - stupid things." But the father-of-two has now curbed his boozing ways, and is happy to be recognized as Obi-Wan by young fans. He says, "After Attack Of The Clones , I stopped drinking for interviews. Now, I'm very happy to do them, I really am. And I like being Obi-Wan Kenobi. I like it when kids speak to me about it because I remember being that way about the first three Star Wars films myself."

[princess 1,712]

McGregor Snubbed by Wife for Film Role

imdb.com

 

[princess 1,712]

Ewan McGregor: Down with PaparazziSTEPHEN M. SILVERMANpeoople.com"Star Wars" and "Down with Love" star <strong>Ewan McGregor has won a major victory in a privacy lawsuit in England, successfully stopping a French photo agency from running photos of his two children taken without his consent, according to published reports.</strong>The pictures were reportedly taken when McGregor, 32, and his wife (of seven years) Eve and their daughters, Clara Mathilde, 7, and Esther Rose, 2, were vacationing in Mauritius last December.The French photo agency, Eliot Press SARL, did not appeal the legal decision, reports Britain's Guardian newspaper. The judge in the case will determine later what damages should be paid to McGregor.The photos have already appeared in English and Scottish newspapers, reports Variety. Still, the case -- classified as a breach of confidence lawsuit -- could set a precedent for the levels of damages that courts will award for invasions of privacy.McGregor's attorney, Mark Thomson, told reporters after Tuesday's hearing: "The courts are moving more to protecting the privacy of individuals and children and using the law of confidence to do it."Thomson added: "I think there will be more of these cases involving paparazzi photographers," the Guardian reports.According to the BBC, McGregor recently launched a stinging attack on the paparazzi, saying: "They shouldn't be shot, but they should be severely beaten up."His legal action reportedly kicked in after he had requested that the media not photograph his children, only to find his request ignored.

[princess 1,712]

Ewan McGregor at the "Big Fish" premiere in New York City

[princess 1,712]

San Diego Union Tribune

Parade

March 28, 2004

 

 

Q: I hear that Ewan McGregor is taking an extended break from making films. Why?

 

A: "I just finished a wonderful film called Stay," says McGregor, 32, "but I was tired and didn't have that spring in my step going to work." In April, he and fellow actor Charley Boorman, 37, will embark on a 20,000-mile, around-the-world motorcycle trip, which they plan to turn into a book called Long Way Round and a TV series. It's nice that celebrities can make a buck even on their days off.

[princess 1,712]

Around the World with EwanApr 13, 9:14 AM ESTMSN.comAssociated PressEwan McGregor is getting ready to travel from London to New York. But there will be no first-class comfort for the down-to-earth Scot. He's going by road.McGregor and fellow actor Charley Boorman plan to set out this week — the exact date is not being disclosed — on a motorcycle journey across Europe, Asia and North America that will get them to New York City by about July."It's such an obvious route," McGregor insisted Tuesday."It's just straight across — you just go from London to New York, going east. I'm surprised more people don't do it."Spurred by a desire for adventure and a hankering for the open road, McGregor and Boorman hatched a plan for a riding holiday that grew from a trip through Spain to a 20,000-mile odyssey across three continents, from the highways of Western Europe to Russia's rutted roads and the grassy tracks of the Mongolian steppe.After crossing Europe, Russia, Kasazkhstan and Mongolia to the eastern tip of Siberia, the duo's planned route winds through Alaska, down the Rockies and across the Great Plains and midwestern United States. It will all be done by road, except for a train trip under the English Channel and a short flight across the Bering Strait between Siberia and Alaska."When we get off the train in Calais, the next stop is eastern Siberia," said McGregor, 33, whose latest film is the Tim Burton fantasy "Big Fish." "We follow our front wheel from Calais to the other side of the globe."McGregor, who burst to international fame as the rangy heroin addict Renton in "Trainspotting" and attained sci-fi immortality as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in two "Star Wars" films, met Boorman on the set of the 1997 film "Serpent's Kiss." The pair bonded over a shared love of motorcycles."The sensation of riding a bike is something you can't really explain," said McGregor, affable and attractively disheveled during an early morning interview. "You either love it or you're not interested in it, I suppose. It feels pretty good to me."As the scale of the two-wheeled trip grew, so did its entourage. The journey — dubbed the Long Way Round — is being filmed for a television series, to be shown on Bravo in the United States and Sky in Britain; the pair also have a contract for a book, to be published in the fall.McGregor and Boorman have undergone hostile-environments training with former British commandos, consulted a nutritionist and worked out with a personal trainer. As they ride, their 1,150cc BMW motorcycles will be laden with tents, dried lentils, cameras and travel gadgetry — and accompanied a cameraman on a third bike. A film crew will meet them every week or so to record footage for the series."One of the reasons we got the TV people involved is that we started planning this ourselves and we realized it's a massive amount of work," said Boorman, 37-year-old son of "Deliverance" director John Boorman. "And we wanted to have some kind of record of what we're doing. And then it just sort of seemed logical to get someone in to help us with that.""We're not very good at filling in forms and stuff like that," added McGregor, a tad apologetic. "The idea of queuing to get visas and all that was just ..."He insists, however, that the trappings will not interfere with their travel experience."You can sit on a bike all day long, but what the journey's about is who we meet along the way," McGregor said."A lot of the places we're going to have nomadic populations — Mongolia, Kazakhstan. The people are on the move all the time, so their culture is set up to accept and look after strangers or travelers such as ourselves. Also, there's not many roads there. It should just be a joy."

[Temptrous 0]

Whew. 20,000 miles? What a trip and sounds like it could be dangerous too. I am impressed. Hope we get reports on this one.

[MMM1 1]

McGregor Stressed Back To Smoking Moulin Rouge star Ewan McGregor has taken up smoking again - after his bike trek across the world turned dangerous. The Scottish hunk is attempting to cycle 20,000 miles alongside biking partner Charlie Boorman, but has already encountered gun- toting military men and poisonous insects. And although McGregor quit smoking in January, in a bid to be fit enough for the endurance challenge, his nerves are now so shredded he has reverted to the bad habit. McGregor blames delays on the trip - caused by Boorman needing urgent medical treatment after accidentally splashing petrol on his face and then being attacked by poisonous insects - for the relapse. Another stressful incident, where he was also detained by Ukranian armed guards who finally released him after a local businessman recognized him and persuaded the militia-men to free him, also sent him back on the nicotine. But McGregor is trying to remain upbeat, saying, "Kazakhstan and Russia have been the most interesting countries on our route. We have been treated to koumiss, fermented horses' milk and meat." http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/#1

[princess 1,712]

Perhaps he should just reconsider what countries he biked through.

[princess 1,712]

McGregor Falls Into River While Trekking Globeimdb.comEwan McGregor recently encountered a frightening situation as he neared the end of his marathon motorcycle trek - he got stuck in a muddy river. The Moulin Rouge star, who embarked on the 20,000 mile global journey with friend Charlie Boorman on April 14, was biking through Mongolia when the scary incident happened. McGregor writes on website Ridernews.Net, "It was so rainy and muddy that we couldn't get anywhere, we just kept getting stuck and falling off. The worst bit of the whole trip so far though, was when I fell off in a river. It was what I was dreading the most. I had nightmares of baling out and filling the engine with water and stranding us in the middle of nowhere. The moment finally happened when I crossed a river and hit a massive boulder hidden under water. Luckily, as the bike began to fall I hit the kill switch, stopping the engine before it sucked in water. When we dragged it out of the river, it was fine." The epic motorbike journey is being filmed for a seven-part documentary series, Long Way Round, and ends in New York later this week.

[princess 1,712]

people.com FINISHED: Ewan McGregor, 33, on Thursday roared into New York City's Battery Park on his dusty motorcycle and ended a 20,000-mile odyssey from London with fellow actor and friend Charley Boorman, reports Reuters. The Star Wars actor and Boorman took more than three months to go through Eastern Europe and the punishing terrain of Mongolia, Siberia and Alaska to shoot their TV series Long Way Round, to air Oct. 28 on Bravo. "It was a good excuse to ride motorcycles for a very, very long time," said McGregor, sporting a bushy red beard.

[princess 1,712]

McGregor Desperate for Movie Rolesimdb.comFilm hunk Ewan McGregor is primed for a big screen return after escaping the pressures of Hollywood on a three-month charity motorbike ride around the world. The Star Wars star, who will be appointed an ambassador for Unicef UK after getting involved with the charity on his travels, insists the trip has left him "rejuvenated" and eager to resume his career. He says, "I worked very hard last year, I was tired and wanted a change of scenery. I'm ready to go back to work." McGregor traveled through 12 countries with his friend and fellow actor Charley Boorman over the summer to raise funds for the Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) and visited three Unicef projects in Mongolia, the Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

[princess 1,712]

McGregor Almost Quit Bike Trekimdb.comEwan McGregor and pal Charley Boorman almost parked up their motorbikes halfway through their round-the-world trek and called the adventure off - because they were missing their families. The actors admit their wives urged them on when the pair called home from remote Mongolia, insisting their global bike ride was too much. The three-month trek had already fallen well behind schedule, and Boorman and McGregor both knew they'd struggle to make up time. Boorman says, "We were desperate to get to our wives." McGregor adds, "They told us to stick it out and if it takes a bit longer, it doesn't matter." The pair eventually rode into New York in July after completing more than 20,000 miles in 113 days.

[princess 1,712]

EOnline.com WHAT A GUY: Ewan McGregor set to make his musical theater debut in a London production of Guys and Dolls. McGregor will play Sky Masterson in the West End revival.

[princess 1,712]

Ewan McGregor at the "Robots" premiere in Westwood, California

[MMM1 1]

McGregor Takes Pay Cut for MusicalMcGregor Takes Pay Cut for Musical Hollywood star Ewan McGregor is taking a massive pay cut to star in a new production of Guys And Dolls on the London stage. The Scottish actor has signed a six month contract to play gangster playboy Sky Masterson in the classic 1950s musical which will open at the West End's Piccadilly Theatre on June 1. The 34-year-old says, "I do find it daunting going back to live theatre after movies. I can't wait but I'll really have to work hard to master the stage fright." McGregor's talent for singing first came to international attention following his starring role in Moulin Rouge, and his current co-stars are impressed by his instinctive ability to master complex choreography during rehearsals. Artistic director Michael Grandage says, "The big shock, or rather surprise, is that we truthfully didn't know what Ewan's dancing skills were. Sky Masterson can easily be played without too much dancing about. But we discovered he's a completely natural dancer so we're really going to be using it. And he has a glorious voice." McGregor last appeared on stage in the London Comedy Theatre's production of Little Malcolm And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs in 1999. Grandage's Guys And Dolls production, which also stars Ally McBeal beauty Jane Krakowski in her West End debut, will see Damon Runyon's musical return to the London stage after a 23 year hiatus. http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/2005-04-14/

[MMM1 1]

McGregor Ban 'Star Wars' Fans from Stage Door Actor Ewan McGregor has a warning for fans hoping to meet him at the stage door of his new London play - don't bring any Star Wars memorabilia. The Scots heart-throb is starring in the West End production of 1950s musical Guys And Dolls from June, which opens only 12 days after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith hits cinemas worldwide. And while McGregor is prepared for the Star Wars frenzy over the next few weeks, he is banning the sci-fi film from the back door of the Piccadilly Theatre. McGregor explains, "I made a decision a while back, I'm not going to be available to sign Star Wars stuff at the stage door. I'll be available to sign people's programs and things. But if I start that it will be a nightmare. What will happen, people come to Guys and Dolls and want their program signed, but get monstered by the professional autograph hunters. I don't like to play that game so I won't be signing any Star Wars stuff." http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/2005-04-15/

[princess 1,712]

WHY EWAN GAVE UP THE BOOZEPage SixJuly 4, 2005 -- "STAR Wars" stud Ewan McGregor reveals that while his career was taking off, he was really just a miserable drunk.McGregor tells the July issue of Playboy he quit drinking a few years ago after his boozing got out of hand. "I think drinking and being out of control narrow your options in front of the camera," the actor says. "I was just ashamed of myself, really."McGregor notes that, "none of my directors ever said, 'You know, I'd rather you didn't drink at work.' None of them. And they must have known. I was reeking of [booze]." He laments, "Originally I was a happy drunk. But later I was miserable because it's a depressant."Elsewhere, McGregor dishes on his major falling-out with director Danny Boyle.They worked on three career-making movies together — "Shallow Grave," "Trainspotting" and "A Life Less Ordinary" — but stopped speaking after Boyle cast Leo DiCaprio in "The Beach" instead of him."Boyle and his people didn't treat me very well," McGregor gripes. "It wasn't just about 'The Beach' — it was that they were dishonest with me about it. It cost us our friendship. I had the rug pulled out from under our feet . . . It was a betrayal."As for a rumor that he turned down Keanu Reeves' megabucks role in "The Matrix," "I didn't turn [it] down," McGregor insists — unless his agents did it without telling him. "Not to my knowledge anyway. [bleep]ing people will hang if I did."Despite that, McGregor declares he has no desire to become a major marquee movie star like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt. "If you chase fame, you're just going to end up miserable and unhappy," he says."I'm not interested in fame, because you'll never be famous enough. You'll never wake up one day and go, 'I'm [bleep]ing famous, and I'm really happy' . . . Some people are willing to pay a huge price for it, but not me," the star says.He's not after a massive paycheck, either. "It seems to me the more money people get paid, the lazier they become," he says. "I think bad behavior from actors is often linked to their insecurity."

[cydonia 0]

3 A.M. Girls

 

HE regards himself as a "serious artiste" - and woe betide anyone who

questions the supposedly formidable talent of Ewan McGregor.

 

The charmless actor suffered a serious sense-of -humour failure at the

premiere of his latest film - and threw a hissy fit when asked about

criticisms of his American accent in The Island.

 

Our spy at the Leicester Square event on Sunday tells us: "Ewan was all

smiles when he arrived and although he's not fond of being interviewed

he quite happily answered all the easy questions about the film which

also stars Scarlett Johansson."

 

The Scotsman's mood changed, however, when one reporter dared to ask

him about jibes in the US over his accent in the film, which was

described as leaving the viewer feeling "pummelled rather than

exhilarated".

 

Our mole goes on: "A blonde girl asked him if he'd be sticking to his

Scottish accent in future. Ewan was taken aback, but answered that he

had "no plans" to abandon the US accent. He seemed to be carrying on

with his red-carpet duties as normal."

 

But the thesp is obviously not one to let things lie.

 

We're told: "A few minutes later he marched back to the girl and

snarled: "Thank you for bringing that up - you've ruined my evening!"

before storming off.

 

"Not long after this one of the event's organisers told the girl she

had to leave," says our mole.

 

And while the reporter was packing up to go, a US toady got in on the

act.

 

"The guy was incandescent with rage and called the girl a 'f***ing

a***hole' and said she was banned from all future premieres, which

seemed an incredible over-reaction".

 

A spokeswoman for McGregor later gave a rambling explanation for the

actor's behaviour.

 

"There had been an unfounded criticism made to Ewan by an agency

reporter, to which Ewan politely replied that he was sorry she'd asked

that question as it had taken the shine off his night.

 

"To our knowledge no one was asked to leave and it has been resolved

amicably." Ew don't say...

[princess 1,712]

Wow, I hope that story isn't true - he always seemed so nice.

[BobbyD 2]

(Handbag.com)Stars Offer Budget Acting ClassEwan McGregor, Patrick Stewart and Imelda Staunton are offering drama classes to aspiring actors for the bargain price of GBP38 a session.The generous actors are taking part in the innovative Film Lab project at London's prestigious Actor's Centre in a bid to help wannabe stars emulate their Hollywood success.And the centre is bracing itself for the rush.The Actors Centre artistic director Matthew Lloyd says, "In the States, a lot of actors take classes on a regular basis, but the unique feature of Film Lab is that people will not be selected by only those who can pay."The course will run for 12 months and we will be able to use the performers when they're available. We'll fit in with their diaries." © Copyright World Entertainment News Network.

[princess 1,712]

people.com

Ewan McGregor has a new addition to his family: a 4-year-old girl from Mongolia.

 

"I can confirm Ewan McGregor and his wife Eve Mavrakis have adopted the girl but cannot comment further," a rep for the Scottish-born actor tells PEOPLE.

McGregor, 35, and Mavrakis, 39, have two biological daughters: Esther, 4, and Clara, 1. The couple, who met on the set of the British TV crime series Kavanagh QC, have been married since 1995.

 

Mavrakis, a production designer, most recently worked on the British movie Imagine Me & You. Born in France and raised in China, she served as production interpreter on the Chinese set of Steven Spielberg's 1987 movie Empire of the Sun.

 

In 2004, McGregor and best friend Charley Boorman spent three months on a globe-spanning 20,000-mile motorcycle odyssey for the Bravo TV series Long Way Round. Mongolia was one of the stops on their journey.

 

Before the trek, McGregor told reporters that his wife and daughters "understand and are fully behind us, (though) I think if the whole thing was called off tomorrow they would probably be delighted."

[belliecjk 0]

Colin Farrell it goes without saying. Now that he's ungreased, unbloated, and presumably undrugged, he's back to 'yes please and as rough as you like' status. As for Ewan? Hell yeah. I'll take some o' that kinky eyeliner, part drag, part showtunes, all man on a motorcycle action any day. Thank goddess his wife isn't selfish. No wonder they've been married so long, non?

Got this off of Lainey's site. Has anyone heard anything about this? Does any Blind items pop-up in your mind when reading this? Just curious.

[BobbyD 2]

Ewan Joins George on the HeathThe London Evening Standard reports that Star Wars stud Ewan McGregor is joining the film Scenes of a Sexual Nature, which “follows seven couples discussing their love lives on a hot August afternoon” in Hampstead Heath in London. McGregor will play one half of a gay couple. The Scot star got it on with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in Velvet Goldmine a few years back, and he tells the Daily Express, “I’ve never been a soldier but I’ve played a soldier. My character, Billy, is a human being—if he is gay or straight, it doesn’t make any difference.” McGregor, while playing gay, will not be having sex with overweight, older, unemployed strangers, however, as George Michael was recently caught doing on the Heath.

[Silver 0]

I wish he'd get those warts removed from his face- they are so distracting.And I think he'd really be attractive if he did. JMO.This is the same thing that bothers me about Christian Bale - although he only has one, by his right eye.Ewwww!(I know, I know, I am shallow.But why have those things on your face when they are so easy to remove? I just don't understand it).