These are excerpts of an article on Ewan McGregor by Gavin Edwards from the November 1997 issue of DETAILS. Thanks to all of you who told us it was on the newsstands. We only pulled out the interesting STAR WARS stuff:

"The one blockbuster movie that Ewan couldn't refuse was STAR WARS, which he considers a cultural event, not just a summer thrill ride: "There's nothing cooler than being a Jedi Knight." The first STAR WARS came out when Ewan was six; he estimates that he watched it on video somewhere over a hundred times. Uncle Denis was in all three STAR WARS movies, as Wedge, the only X-Wing fighter pilot other than Luke to survive the trilogy. Ewan's currently filming the first of three new movies (due in 1999, 2001, and 2003), playing the young Ben Kenobi, the part created by Sir Alec Guinness. He's been watching Guinness movies from the '50s like THE CARD, trying to get his young voice down, but hasn't talked to the man himself: "What would I say? 'How'd you do it?' He's only in half the first movie, and it's a legendary performance. With all that bad dialogue, he really pulls it off."

So the new STAR WARS dialogue is still awkward?

"There's some CHOICE lines, yeah. Everything is very deliberate - it's all about 'We're gonna go do this now,' as opposed to what you're thinking. So the key is to just get it out."

Have you ever talked to George Lucas about it?

"Not really. What am I going to say? 'George, your dialogue's crap?"

Periodically, Ewan gets reminders of the mythic proportions of the project - like the day he got to pick out his lightsaber handle. "It's the most secretive thing - I have to sign papers. This guy looked me in the eye and said, 'Are you ready?' Then he opened up a brief case-sized box with eight or nine lightsaber handles. I picked up the sexiest one. I realized, I've been waiting twenty years to have my own lightsaber."

What color is it?

"I can't tell you that."

One thing Ewan hasn't pondered is how his life will change in 1999, when he becomes avaliable in toy stores worldwide as an action figure. He likes to imagine that things will be much the same: He'll be able to walk the streets of London, he won't be hounded by fans or photographers. This considerably underestimates the proportions of STAR WARS mania. Not for nothing does Harrison Ford, another Hollywood hater, live on a ranch in Wyoming. "

Later on, the magazine article talks about Ewan's nude scenes in a lot of films:

"Clearly, Ewan is not just comfortable with on-screen nudity, he seeks it out. Maybe even in STAR WARS: "I'm just looking for that moment to drop my Jedi knickers and pull out my real lightsaber."

It's Ewan's turn to buy a round of drinks, but that doesn't stop everyone from mocking his Jedi haircut. "They're paying me a lot of money to keep my hair like this," he protests. Then he pulls out something surprising that he's kept tucked behind his right ear: a three-inch lock of hair."

Well, that's the end of the good stuff! And as you can see, I (Scott), was wrong about Him having spiky hair and a lock of hair to the side. Oh, well!

Article on Ewan McGregor

Steve Almond sent us this article from the London Free Press. Besides getting the title of the film wrong and spelling Kenobi's name wrong, it is kind of interesting.

Out of This World

The force is definitely with McGregor, who is fast becoming the most popular Scottish export since Connery. The 26-year-old star of such films as The Shallow Grave, Brassed Off, The Pillow Book and Emma has just completed filming the first of the Star Wars prequels, Star Wars: Balance of the Force, in which he plays a young Obi-Wan Kenobe. "I definitely had my Star Wars denial days. I couldn't believe I was actually standing there holding a light sabre," recalls McGregor. Sometimes he wasn't actually holding it. "It kept flying out of my hand and hitting the crew." For McGregor, "the most unbelievable day, though, was the first time I was on set with R2D2. That's when I knew it was all really happening." McGregor says he was saddened that George Lucas wouldn't let him keep any of his character's props or costumes. "I wanted to replace the sabre I had as a child with my new one." Star Wars actually runs in McGregor's family. His uncle, Denis Lawson, played an X-Wing fighter in all three of the original films. Star Wars: Balance of the Force will be released in 1999.

9/29/97 - Sam Davatchi (see links section) and Roderick Vonhogen (The Prequel Virtual Edition) loaned us this article from Total Film Monthly. Please keep in mind that everything the article mentions that is plot related is bogus. They just pulled it off of the net, and most, if not all of it, is not true:

"Star Wars then, Mr McGregor. We already know work began on 3 June, and that footage has been shot at Leavesden, at the palace Regia di Caserta in Italy and in the Highlands of Scotland. We know that you play young Obi-Wan Kenobi, that Liam Neeson is a mysterious Jedi warrior, Jake Lloyd is young Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader in waiting) and that Terence Stamp, Samuel L Jackson, Brian Blessed, Natalie Portman, and Ian McDiarmid co-star. We also know that there are Sand People in it, not to mention Wookies, banthas, proto- type X-Wings, Boba Fett, Jabba The Hutt and over 1,500 visual effects shots. But what else has been happening on the set of the new Star Wars? Well? "I can't tell you," is his stock reply. Press for more information (e.g. the name of Liam Neeson's character or what the Clone Wars are), and the Trainspotting star just avoids the question. Hardly surprising, mind you. George Lucas has the Star Wars cast under iron-clad non-dislosure contracts. You spill your Jedi beans on pain of death. "I've had to sign so many bits of paper," explains the young Obi-Wan, "you just wouldnt believe." It must be working, because the level of secrecy surrounding the new Star Wars trilogy is becoming legendary. Who's in it? What's it about? Whens it coming out? Nobody seems to know. But the fact that McGregor has just returned from a lightsabre workout in Tunisia (famous desert home of the planet Tatooine) suggests that the production is moving much faster than many people think. "We've been shooting for a while," confirms the actor, "and should actually finish by the end of September." The movie is the first to have a 24- hour production schedule. Each day, Lucas films for 12 hours, then sends the rushes via a satellite to ILM in America. The famed effects company then plonks the CG wizardry into the rough footage overnight, before sending it back to the director, ready for the next days shoot. And with a Star Wars teaser trailer rumoured to be airing with Novembers release of Alien: Resurrection, the eagerly-awaited pic might even hit US screens mid-98. Ewan McGregor, a Scot now on the brink of having his image transformed into more plastic figures, duvet covers and lunch- boxes than he can imagine, is understandably excited by it all. "When you're my age, and you were out there cheering when the first Star Wars came out, what are you going to do when they offer you one of the leads in the new film ? Say No? No way! Can you imagine what itll be like sitting down in some screening room, the curtain going up and there it is, the new movie? Magic." While most of the story is still evolving, the new trilogy revolves around the themes ofbetrayal and conflict. It chronicles the rise of the Empire, the downfall of Anakin Skywalker and how Lukes unfortunate pa becomes evil, wheezing, minion- choker Darth Vader. In the first movie (working title Star Wars: Balance Of The Force), audiences will see the future Emperor, Palpatine, trying to overthrow the old Republic. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Neesons mystic warrior are the only surviving Jedi, after their order is ruthlessly butchered by Boba Fett and his Mandalorian warriors. They flee to Tatooine, while Palpatine embraces the dark side of the Force and realises that the Jedi are a threat to his dominance. To crush them, he sends a legion of inept couldnt-hit-a-barn-door troops, but the be-cloaked duo escape and travel to an undersea kingdom to ask for help. The Emperor tracks them to the submerged city, and the film reaches a good-versus-evil finale, with a huge CG-stuffed, submarine battle. If Star Wars was sand, The Empire Strikes Back snow and Return Of The Jedi forest, then Balance Of The Force is definitely water. And just how has McGregor prepared for all this epic history-making action? "I've been watching loads of Alec Guinness's old movies," he explains. "Not to try and inutate him in any way, but just to try and catch a flavour of inflections and vocal mannerisms. After all, lrn meant to be his character, I'm meant to be Obi- Wan Kenobi. But these movies are very different. The great thing is that I can do these films and not have to bother doing a blockbuster again. I can just get on with the kind of movies that I want to do." McGregor's schedule is duly packed. "I'm just trying to imitate my heroes from the old studio days of Hollywood," the actor suggests, "where they'd make four or five films a year." His next appearance in the UK will be the Trainspotting crews A Life Less Ordinary ("Its good and lm really pleased with it"), followed by the suspense thriller Nightwatch, in which he plays a morgue security guard, the period piece Serpentc Kisc and Todd Haynes 70's glam movie Velvet Coldmine. After Star Wars finally wraps, he has no fewer than three movies lined up: The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice with Jane Hortocks, US indie thriller Eye Of The Beholder, and Rogwe Trader, the screen take on the life of Barings Bank dealer Nick Leeson. But Obi-Wan is dominating his life this year, and if theres one thing he's enjoyed most about Star Wars, it would have to be... "The lightsabres. Man, if they were real, they'd be bloody lethal. The ones were using are seriously dodgy as it is. And do you know something? Guess who the best fighter is with one of them? The kid little Jake. He's lethal, but then that's probably how it's meant to be."

9/17/97 - We have been told from sources that Obi-Wan's hair in Episode 1 is pulled back into a closley cropped ponytail. Interesting! Get a haircut and get a real job, you crazy old hermit! :)

7/16/97 - From our friends at Prequel Watch, this is a report from TrueFan:

."If you haven't heard...Ewan McGregor has officially signed on as Kenobi (as reported over a month ago) but Lucasfilm thinks that it is fun to keep everyone guessing. McGregor signed a pretty nifty deal with Lucasfilm and could make more than Hamill and Ford made off of the first 3 films combined.....not bad for an 'unknown'..."

7/1/97 - The Official Star Wars Homepage finally officially announced Ewan as Young Obi-Wan. Surprise.

"June 30, 1997: We are happy to announce that Ewan McGregor has signed on for the Episode I cast in the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Keep watching the casting page for updates. "

6/10/97 - Check out the Entertainment Weekly article on Ewan McGregor Here!

But here's the article (for when they finally shut their page down) It's by BENJAMIN SVETKEY:

HE FELL IN LOVE WITH STAR WARS AS A KID, HIS UNCLE WAS IN ALL THREE MOVIES, AND HE ALREADY HAS THAT COOL ACCENT. SO WHEN IT CAME TO CASTING THE YOUNG JEDI MASTER... "What i've been told to say," Ewan McGregor announces after chugging down his third beer, "is that we're in negotiations. But the truth is, I want to do it, they want me to do it, so I'm doing it."

The "it" in question, of course, is only the role of a lifetime, playing the most beloved Jedi master ever to tangle with the Dark Side. As the whole world is about to learn, McGregor, 26, has been signed to star as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the new Star Wars prequels, a bit of casting news that instantly makes him the biggest thing out of Scotland since argyle socks, or at least since Sean Connery.

"Actually," says the scruffily charming actor in his bristly Highland burr, "I really want to play Princess Leia. Stick some big pastries on my head. Now, that would be interesting."

Last year, McGregor created a huge splash--literally - by chasing an opium suppository down a toilet bowl in the indie hit Trainspotting. That harrowing performance won him an Actor of the Year award from the London Film Critics Circle and made him one of the hottest young thespians in the realm (see page 33 for his competition). Next to those battling brothers from Oasis, he's become the biggest pop god in England, a national antihero for the post-punk-but-still-pissed-off generation. And yet, despite Trainspotting's respectable run in the U.S. (it earned $16 million) and his role opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in the even more respectable Emma ($22 million), most Americans haven't a clue who he is--even if they did happen to catch his special guest spot on ER last February, in which he held Julianna Margulies hostage in a convenience store for the show's entire hour.

So who is this man who would be Kenobi? For starters, he's the type of guy who isn't afraid to drop trou in public, as American moviegoers are about to discover. In Peter Greenaway's new arthouse mind-bender The Pillow Book, which opened June 6, McGregor plays a bisexual Englishman who lets his Hong Kong girlfriend draw calligraphy all over his bare body--including his unsheathed, um, lightsaber. "Being naked was far more worrisome for everyone else on the set than it was for me," he reports. "I actually enjoyed it, the truth be told. There was something incredibly powerful about it. Usually you'd get arrested for that sort of thing, but I got paid."

This month, American audiences can also see McGregor--fully clothed--in Brassed Off, a small-but-scrappy English film about a doomed mining town. In the fall, he'll be costarring with Nick Nolte and Patricia Arquette in Nightwatch, his first American thriller, in which he'll play a morgue attendant who gets mixed up in a murder. He'll also turn up as a hapless janitor who kidnaps Cameron Diaz in A Life Less Ordinary, a romantic comedy by the same writer-director-producer team that made Trainspotting. And he's just finished shooting Todd Haynes' Velvet Goldmine, a David Bowie-Iggy Pop-inspired love story set in the glam-rock '70s, due out next year.

It's an eclectic slate of projects, with the emphasis on smart, offbeat independent films--in other words, the sort of movies that don't spin off many toy tie-ins. "When I met with agents in L.A., they would tell me you had to do two movies for yourself and then two for the business," he says. "And I thought, 'F--- off. No, you don't. You do every film because you want to do good work. Because you're interested in making good movies and working with good people.' To do a crappy event movie for a lot of money, like Independence Day--I would never taint my soul with that crap."

Of course, there's a truckload of irony pulling up here: The untainted maverick is about to start shooting what could easily become the most commercially successful event movies ever made. If dusted-off, 20-year-old releases can rake in a half billion bucks worldwide, imagine what sort of cash flow a fresh batch of Star Wars flicks will generate. Still, McGregor sees a difference. "I don't think of them as event movies," he says. "It's not like being in Robocop 5 or something. The Star Wars movies are way beyond studio pictures. They're enormous. I can't say no."

There are certainly plenty of reasons to say yes--like his 16-month-old daughter, Clara (by wife Eve Maurakis, a French costume designer he met while filming an English TV production of Charlotte's Web two years ago). "I was 6 years old when Star Wars came out," he explains. "I remember standing outside school waiting to be picked up, so excited. And my daughter's going to be 6 when the new Star Wars movies are out. That's f---ing lovely in a way, you know?"

There's another family connection to the series as well: McGregor says his uncle, actor Denis Lawson (Local Hero), was "the only X-wing pilot to survive all three" of the original Star Wars movies. Lawson, not surprisingly, was also the inspiration for McGregor's own early acting ambitions. "I was brought up in a small conservative town [Crieff] in Scotland," he says. "And my uncle used to come up from London in the '70s wearing sheepskin waistcoats and beads, with no shoes and long hair, giving people flowers and stuff. I just went, wow. Right then I decided to become an actor--even though I had no idea what that meant."

What it meant initially was leaving school at 16, a brief stint at a Scottish repertory theater, then three years at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. What it means now is that McGregor can barely stroll the streets of London without triggering a reenactment of the train station mob scenes in A Hard Day's Night. "It's not that bad, but it is on the cusp of becoming a problem," says Trainspotting director Danny Boyle. "All that constant recognition gets tiresome after a while. He can't even pick his nose in public."

Visiting new york, downing brews in a chelsea restaurant, McGregor couldn't seem less concerned with the perils of fame--or maybe he's simply relishing his last taste of American anonymity. Unassuming, unpretentious, and on the way to becoming utterly sloshed, he comes across as the ultimate anti-celebrity, a bloke for all seasons. In any case, if anybody in the room is staring at him, it's only because he's been partying all night and sort of looks it (he's still got a big ink-stamp mark from a nightclub smudged on his wrist). "I love New York," he murmurs happily into his beer.

Of course, now that he's signed for Star Wars, these sorts of quiet public moments are history. As the new Kenobi, he'll be swarmed by fans in every restaurant and nightclub in every city on the planet. It's a huge change in his life, an instant thrust into global superstardom. "Ewan's got the world at his feet," as Brassed Off director Mark Herman puts it, "and that makes this a dangerous time for him." To deal with the intense pressure, McGregor is using that old Jedi mind trick of trying not to think about it. Instead, he's concentrating on his killer Alec Guinness impersonation.

"I have to get his accent," he says. "He's got this very specific older man's voice. It'd be great if I could trace it back to his youth and get it right." He takes a swig of beer, clears his throat, and gives it a whirl. "'Yoooz the Force, Luke. Stretch out your feeeelings.'" Now, if only he could nail that Carrie Fisher impersonation. *

6/8/97 - 9pm Central - The one and only John Putman saved the day for us and sent these pictures from the Entertainment Tonight Prequel segment from 6/6/97.

Ewan McGregor as Young Obi-Wan.....

6/5/97 - Nothing new here, but this is interesting. It was pointed out to us by Jason Maxey and Jonathan Van Hoose. Here is Jason's report:

"I was watching CNN Headline News this morning and caught the "Holywood Minute", where they did a story on Ewan McGregor (touting him as the next Sean Connery coming out of Scotland, whatever). In the interview they said, more or less, that he was going to be Obi-Wan. They then played a clip of him saying, once again not an exact quote, that they liked him for the part and that he liked the part. Whether this is CNN taking in the good with the bad, as they are known to do, we will see."

That brings us to the next hot topic - Why did Rick McCallum say that there would be no Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan in that Dutch article?! Keep this in mind, the interview was done March 14. Also, Rick only said that Ewan had not been auditioned by himself and that rumors of him actually already cast as Obi-Wan were false. As of March 14, he probably had not been auditioned by Rick and probably had not been finally cast at that point. As open as McCallum is in that article, I doubt he would misinform anyone about casting. If he didn't want to talk about it, he'd probably say, "I don't want to talk about that."

UPDATE!!! - Amy Adams pointed out the following E! Online interview with Ewan McGregor. It starts out talking about him being nekkid in movies, the continues with the following:

I guess you won't have to worry about anything like that if you make the Star Wars prequel.

I don't know. I think there's got to be a scene where Obi-Wan's in the buff. Yeah, when he drops his robes or something and shows everyone his light saber.

We'll all be looking forward to that. Anything you can really tell us about the prequel?

No, I'm sworn to secrecy on the whole deal. I can just tell you I've had a few meetings with George Lucas, and he's lovely--a very nice man. You know, it's a big one. It's a big operation.

Are you looking forward to being in a gigantic American production?

I'm glad to be doing this one if it happens. But on the whole, I don't like them. I don't see the three Star Wars movies in the same way I see something like Independence Day. I would shoot myself in the head before I was in a film like that. I really would. I think it's disgraceful.

What's special about Star Wars?

Well, I grew up on Star Wars. Plus, my uncle [Denis Lawson] was in all three. He played X-wing fighter pilot Wedge Antilles. I remember the excitement of going to see the first film when I was five or six, initially to see him. But at that age, the whole thing just blew my hair back. What's great is that, if this works out, my daughter will be five or six by the time all of this batch comes out. It'll be great for her to have her daddy in it, y'know.

Want to see the rest of the interview? Check out E! Online

5/27/97 - Bas-Jan Walwijk found an article in the Dutch Magazine SUM (Specifiek Universitair Magazine), vol. 7, no. 3. that had an interview with Rick McCallum. Bas-Jan noted that it said the following:

* Referring to rumors of an Ewan McGregor screentest, he said: "No Ewan McGregor, and no Kenneth Branagh. That's all [BS - editor]." [that last bit was left untranslated ;-)] He went on to say that Ewan was a great actor, but that they hadn't done a screentest, and hadn't even met him. He couldn't name whom they *had* screentested "in order not to hurt the ones who wouldn't get the part". Most would be unknowns, though, and screentests have been going on for the past year.

Now we don't know when this interview was made, but the Official Star Wars site already contradicts this statement. Ewan DID screentest, so this was most likely made before then (as best we figure!).

5/7/97 - It is a FACT!!! Our Inside source contacted us on 5/6/97 and said that Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor have officially signed on to be in the prequels! It is a done deal!!

5/5/97

Ewan McGregor Confirmation?

This was sent to us by Brian Linder from Variety. Can you spot the intresting bit of info?

By Chris Petrikin

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - "Trainspotting" star Ewan McGregor is set to star in "Eye of the Beholder," an independent picture directed by Stephan Elliott, the Australian helmer of "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert." Set to go before the cameras in January, McGregor will play a disenfranchised high-tech private eye who becomes obsessed with, and follows cross-country, a mysterious woman who turns out to be a serial killer. The remaining casting has not been set, but talks are under way with actresses to play the two female leads. The $15 million psycho-thriller -- adapted by Elliott from a Marc Behm The $15 million psycho-thriller -- adapted by Elliott from a Marc Behm novel -- will be shot on location in the U.S. McGregor's star has risen quickly since his starring turn in Danny Boyle's hit film, "Trainspotting." He just signed to play the young Obi Wan Kenobi in George Lucas' first new "Star Wars" film. He followed Trainspotting with roles in Emma, The Pillow Book and the upcoming Brassed Off. He also stars in" The Serpent's Kiss," which will appear in the main competition at this year's Cannes Film Festival. He reteamed with the "Trainspotting" triumvirate of helmer Danny Boyle, producer Andrew Macdonald and writer John Hodge on the forthcoming release, "A Life Less Ordinary," in which he co-stars with Holly Hunter and Delray Lindo. Elliott will be in Cannes with his latest film, "Welcome to Whoop Whoop" (formerly known as "The Big Red"), which has been selected as one of the gala midnight screenings at the fest.

Reuters/Variety

So does this mean that Ewan McGregor is confirmed? Hard to tell. Up till now we've only heard rumors. But some of us web masters have been discussing it and we've come to a couple of possibilities - 1. They're taking rumors and stating them as fact. 2. Info has been leaked and, in fact, Ewan is already signed. In any case, we expect to hear a lot of casting info this month! Stay Tuned!

EWAN MacGREGOR NEWS / CONFIRMATION

As you can see, some of the rumors we've been hearing seem to have a little bit of truth to them. This comes from the 4/1/97 Dish section of Daily Variety, sent by Jay Majer

Castings

Though Kenneth Branagh was the oft-mentioned candidate to play young Obi Wan Kenobi in the next three Star Wars prequel films, Dish hears talk is building about Trainspotting star Ewan McGregor, who has met with George Lucas. A Lucas representative acknowledged the meeting, but said he's one of several being considered.

Harry Knowles is reporting that Ewan McGregor from TRAINSPOTTING has been signed on to play Young Obi-Wan in the Prequels. Is this true? Harry assures us that it is. We won't be able to confirm it for ourselves, though, till Lucasfilms says so. Check out more info on Ewan McGregor here! Good Luck finding much else about him, though. We had a hard time finding pics of him!

UPDATE - Jon Van Hoose and Tristan Pruss have both confirmed for us that Ewan McGregor is Denis Lawson's (Wedge Antilles) nephew! Pretty weird, eh? See for yourself at the Internet Movie Database!