Ewan McGregor Didn’t Read the Book to Prepare for His ‘Worst’ Role
Ewan McGregor has been a huge Hollywood star for well over two decades. Noted for his charm and easygoing humor, as well as for his willingness to tackle roles in independent productions, McGregor is a fan-favorite all over the world. McGregor entered the film business in the early ’90s, with roles in high-profile projects like Shallow Grave and Trainspotting. Another movie early on in McGregor’s career was the romantic comedy Emma — an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel. In 2003, the star opened up about his career, revealing why he chose not to read the novel in order to prepare for Emma, a project that he dubbed his “worst” role.
What did Ewan McGregor say about his preparation process for ‘Emma’?
Speaking with The Guardian in 2003, McGregor offered rare insight into his career and acting processes. The star, who was famously uncensored during his early years in the spotlight, admitted that he only chose to take the part in Emma because he thought it would be different from Trainspotting, the movie that made him a power player in Hollywood. He also said he didn’t read the Jane Austen novel that the movie was based on in advance of filming Emma.
“My decision-making was wrong. It’s the only time I’ve done that,” McGregor said, calling Emma his “worst” role. “And I learnt from it, you know. So I’m glad of that — because it was early on and I learnt my lesson. It’s a good film, ‘Emma,’ but I’m just… not very good in it. I’m not helped because I’m also wearing the world’s worst wig. It’s quite a laugh, checking that wig out.”
Ewan McGregor talked about preparing for some of his other roles
In general, McGregor considers himself to be a working actor, shying away from the “method” process and rarely taking his work home with him. Still, he takes his work seriously, telling The Guardian that “the best way to act is to feel what you’re supposed to be doing. If you’re thinking about what’s happening on your face, you’re not doing it properly, you know.”
McGregor was asked if he ever “dreamed in character,” to which he replied, “No. Ha ha. Never. I dream a lot… Actors — most of them — have work-related dreams.” Emma isn’t the only project that McGregor opted to not really prepare for – he also told The Guardian that he went into his role in Nora not knowing the first thing about the real-life man that he portrayed and that he warmed up for the fight scenes in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace by having several beers.
Ewan McGregor is an award-winning actor
Over the years, McGregor was able to slowly shed the iconoclastic image that he cultivated early on in his career. However, he continued to choose interesting roles that challenged him creatively, including the part of Christian in the musical comedy classic Moulin Rouge and SPC John Grimes in the action epic Black Hawk Down. From horror movies like Doctor Sleep to lending his voice to the reboot of the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast, McGregor has done a little bit of everything.
McGregor has received multiple awards and accolades throughout his career, including a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest actors of his generation – quite an accomplishment for a man who once admitted that he sometimes goes into roles less than prepared.
