EWAN McGREGOR was born in 1971 in Crieff, Scotland. Despite a small-town upbringing, he became enthralled with the world of acting from a very early age, largely inspired by his actor uncle, Denis Lawson (Of Local Hero and Star Wars fame).
Six months before his graduation at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama, McGregor was offered the role of Private Mick Hopper in Dennis Potter's six-part musical comedy television series "Lipstick on Your Collar". Shortly after this first break, McGregor landed his first film role in Bill Forsyth's "Being Human," where the producer Lord David Puttnam was so impressed by McGregor's abilities that he added extra scenes in for him on the spot.
Following roles in the play "What the Butler Saw" and in a BBC production of "Scarlet and Black," McGregor starred in the BAFTA winning "Shallow Grave," which pushed the young Scottish actor into the limelight. His portrayal of Alex Law earned him the Hitchcock D-Argent Best Actor Award and a nomination for Best Actor at the BAFTA Scotland Awards, as well as laying the roots for a highly successful partnership with the director Danny Boyle. McGregor had his first solo male lead in the cult director Peter Greenaway's erotic film "The Pillow Book."
Although "Shallow Grave" provided McGregor's breakthrough role, it was his portryal of smack-addict Mark Renton in Irvine Welsh's "Trainspotting" that catapulted McGregor to international fame. To prepare for this role, McGregor worked closely with ex-drug addicts who helped provide him with a level of insight needed to tackle the graphic portrayal of drug addiction and withdrawal. "Trainspotting" won a string of prestigious awards, including the BAFTA Scotland award for Best Feature Film, while McGregor himself picked up BAFTA Scotland's Best Actor accolade, and for the second year running, the Empire magazine award for Best British Actor, plus a London Film Critics' Circle Award.
After the success of "Trainspotting," McGregor starred opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in an adaptation of Jane Austen's novel "Emma." He next starred opposite Tara Fitzgerald in Mark Herman's Cesar Award winning "Brassed off."
McGregor's U.S. film debut was "Nightwatch." Walk-on parts in the BBC series "Karaoke" and "Cold Lazarus" provided him with a chance to return to Britain before starring as a handsome Cutch landscape artist in Philippe Rousselot's "The serpent's Kiss."
Following his second short feature for director Justin Chadwick, "Swimming with Fishes," McGregor teamed with Cameron Diaz in the quirky romantic fantasy "A Life Less Ordinary," which reunited him with directory Danny Boyle. McGregor's character portrayal of Robert won him the Best British Actor award in the 1997 Empire Movie Awards - for the third time running.
McGregor received an Emmy Award for a guest-starring role in an episode of "ER."
McGregor landed the coveted role of Obi-Want Kenobi in "Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menance." He reprised the role in "Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones" and again returns as Obi-Wan in "Star Wars: Episode III," schedule for release in 2005.
In 1998, McGregor founded Natural Nylon, along with his friends Jude Law, Sadie Frost, Jonny Lee Miller and Sean Pertwee. McGregor co-produced Natural Nylon's "Nora."
In Baz Luhrmann's Oscar and BAFTA award winning musical film "Moulin Rouge," McGregor played opposite Nicole Kidman. In 2001, McGregor starred as a Ranger specialist in Ridley Scott's "Black Hawk Down."
McGregor recently completed filming "Young Adam," an original thriller based on a novel by Scottish beat writer Alexander Trocchi.
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