By George & Josh Bate
Ewan McGregor reprises his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the new Disney+ series this month, something Star Wars fans and casual viewers alike are clamoring to see. Across his over two decades long career so far, McGregor has delivered a number of engrossing performances that showcase his versatility and strength as an actor. Here are some of the Ewan McGregor performances to watch before the premiere of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Fargo Season 3
The role that won McGregor a Golden Globe and an Emmy, there’s few better opportunities to be amazed at the actor’s acting abilities than in Fargo’s third season. McGregor plays the two lead characters, twins who find themselves on the wrong side of the law. McGregor transforms into the two characters and it’s astonishing to see him play such radically different people within the same series and even within the same scene at times. Fargo Season 3 is top tier McGregor work.
American Pastoral
McGregor’s sole directing effort to date, American Pastoral is a contemplative look at the pressures of family life. McGregor also assumes the lead role as a father whose life changes when his daughter vanishes.
Trainspotting
Arguably the film that put McGregor on the map, Danny Boyle’s stunning and disturbing tale of addiction remains a topic of conversation to this day. Trainspotting sports an ensemble class, but McGregor has arguably one of the meatier roles.
Doctor Sleep
Doctor Sleep was a big feat in that it not only was an adaptation of a beloved Stephen King novel, but served as a sequel to one of the greatest horror films of all time. McGregor plays a grown version of Danny, the boy whose life is changed forever as his father was driven insane while staying at the Overlook Hotel.
The Ghost Writer
A greatly underrated film, The Ghost Writer is equal parts political thriller and mystery. There’s a film noir quality to it that brings with it an intriguing mood and tone. McGregor plays an author from London, who journeys to the U.S. to write the biography of a disgraced British Prime Minister player by Pierce Brosnan.
Son of a Gun
One of McGregor’s few turns as a villain comes to life in Son of a Gun, an Australian crime thriller. Part prison break movie, heist movie, and gangster movie, Son of a Gun gives McGregor the opportunity to almost play a twisted antithesis of Obi-Wan. He is a warm and protective mentor (at least on the surface), who takes a young man under his wing. As the film progresses and the once friends turn enemies, McGregor becomes more and more of a villain.