From Junkie ("Trainspotting") to Jedi ("Star Wars") in a wink of an eye - nobody has made his carrer at such a rattling speed as the 26 year old Scot. And in our opinion this is justified.1. Ten movies in two years. And still no idiot.Threadbare grey pullover, he seems to have inherited his trousers from his father. First, he's cadging a cigarette and then apologizes in his broad Scottish accent for his hangover. He overdid it with his pals yesterday, "foockin' sorrry". 2. He is the first mega-star of the 21st century - even with that face. "He is no Brad Pitt" director Danny Boyle says about Ewan. But this means that he can play the charismatic junkie Renton in the cult movie of 1996, "Trainspotting" and in the next moment he gets the role that every young actor would strangle his grandmother for: Obi-Wan Kenobi in the high anticipated pre-history to the "Star Wars"-trilogy. The three new movies will be released 1999, 2001 and 2003 and will automatically make him a global star. In other words: tons of action figures and McDonald's wrappings with that face. 3. But wait a minute - he is more an actor than a star. Before he got the role of a 19th century dandy he met the director who asked him anxiously whether he can play such a thing - because this was something different than the journalist-yuppie-pig of the last movie. Flabbergasted, Ewan grumbled: "I am an actor, for f***'s sake! What the f*** are you talking about?" He can simply do anything, for f***'s sake: watchman of a morgue in "Nightwatch", Dutch architect of the 17th century ("Serpent's Kiss"), Iggy Pop-alike in "Velvet Goldmine", banker Nick Leeson in "Rogue Trader" and now the janitor Robert in "A Life Less Ordinary", a bold but failing romantic comedy about love, death, angels and karaoke. Nevertheless this is a must-see, just because of the dream-pairing McGregor/Cameron Diaz. 4. He is not afraid to make a fool of himself. Best proof: his haircut in "A Life Less Ordinary". Danny Boyle: "The best thing about Ewan is that he isn't afraid of looking really bad. Or to play emotions that are so unmanly, like fear. Most actors always take care that they look good on a role." Ewan: "I don't understand when somebody doesn't want to play a sissy, because they are afraid to be considered weak themselves. In that case one should better stop acting at once." 5. He does his job because of the right reasons. "Because of my uncle Denis. He is an actor, too. When he came home for visits he was wearing a sheepskin waistcoat, pearl chains and had no shoes on. When I was nine years old it became clear to me that I was going to be an actor, even though I had no idea what it meant." 6. He is loyal. "A Life Less Ordinary" is his third movie with the team of "Shallow Grave" and "Trainspotting" (director Danny Boyle, author John Hodge, and producer Andrew MacDonald). Together they are for the Britsh film something like John, Paul, George and Ringo. Ewan: "I would cancel everything else immediately if they wanted me for a role." 7. He is very faithful. With 24 years he has married "the best, most beautiful and intelligent woman of the world", the French production designer Eve Mavrakis. And he has a two-year-old daughter, Clara, who, so he thinks, "is making fun of me in French all the time and I don't understand a word of it!" 8. He has a dangerously big mouth. You just have to throw him some catchwords and he will talk himself out of his mind. About Los Angeles: "A Bullshit-city. Everbody thinks you are sooo cool, but you can't believe anybody. They even don't care whether you believe them, for f***s sake!" About Jim Carrey: "Underground. I would love to work with him, only to beat him up in every single scene." About "Independence Day": "I would never spoil my soul with such a rubbish." And then he talks about the incident of the MTV Movie Awards where he had to present an award exactly to Will Smith for "Independence Day". "He came with two huge bodyguards... I already saw myself lying on the parking lot with with a kicked-in-head." And? "Nothing. Obviously, he hasn't read my interviews. But maybe I should pull myself together in the future." 9. Sentimentality, contradictions and all that bunk. "I don't have anything against Hollywood movies. I just find it disturbing that they're shit." Sorry, Ewan, and what about "Star Wars"? Shocked: "This is not Hollywood, man! This is George Lucas! Star Wars! The Legend! The ultimative fairy tale! The lightsabers! I was six when the first 'Star Wars'-movie came out. I remember how excited I was on the way to the cinema. My daughter will be six, too, when we're finished. Foockin' luvly, no?" 10. He has an awesome... um... lightsaber. He does not have any problems with nude scenes. In Peter Greenaway's most recent movie "Pillow Book" his whole body was covered with chinese calligraphy, including his penis. "To be honest, I enjoyed it. Usually, you'd get arrested for that sort of thing, and I got paid for it." Nevertheless, he warned his parents not to watch this movie with their friends, as usual: it could be embarrassing. A few days later after the premiere he got a fax of his parents. His father joked: "I'm glad to see you've inherited one of my major assets." By Meike Winnemuth This article was retranslated from German into English by Marion Jöckel. |