Best Ewan McGregor performances outside of Star Wars

With mere weeks to go until the long-awaited release of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+, fans are rabid to witness the return of Ewan McGregor as the Jedi Knight himself after last playing him 17 years ago in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith.

Although McGregor has lent his voice to the sequel trilogy, nothing beats seeing the man in action. Kenobi is without a doubt his most famous role. One he took over from legendary English actor Alec Guinness who played “Old Ben” in the original trilogy.

But before he returns to the galaxy far, far away, let’s take a look at some of the Scottish actor’s other notable roles throughout the years and decide if they hold up with Kenobi himself.

Mark Renton – Trainspotting & T2: Trainspotting

One of McGregor’s first major roles was that of drug addict Mark Renton in the 1996 film Trainspotting from director Danny Boyle and based on the 1993 novel by Irvine Welsh. McGregor had also appeared in a previous Boyle film Shallow Grave but it was his stunning and extreme performance in Trainspotting that elevated him to the international stage. So much so that he even returned as the character 21 years later in a sequel T2: Trainspotting.

Roman Sionis/Black Mask – Birds of Prey

Coming late into the superhero game, McGregor made his DC debut in the 2020 superhero flick Birds of Prey. Although a somewhat obscure villain, Black Mask was able to carve an identity for himself thanks to an appropriately witty and acidic performance as a man who McGregor himself described as being an “an absolute narcissist.”

Emmit Stussy & Ray Stussy – Fargo

Although Ewan isn’t nearly as well known for his television work, when he does hit the small screen, he goes at it hard. So much so that the third season of FX crime-drama Fargo required McGregor to play two different roles in the same show. As twin brothers Emmit and Ray Stussy, McGregor here is allowed the opportunity to show the range of his acting abilities by playing a pair of twins that have almost nothing in common. The Fargo series is of course based on the beloved 1996 film of the same name by Joel and Ethan Coen.

Whilst this is just a small sample of favorites, I’m sure many readers would be aghast if we didn’t make mention of some other Ewan classics such as Moulin Rouge, Big Fish and I Love You Phillip Morris. It just goes to show that the legendary Jedi is without a doubt in good hands thanks to the many talents of one Ewan McGregor.

The first episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi airs May 27 exclusively on Disney+.

What’s your favorite Ewan McGregor role? Let us know in the comment section below! For all things Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars and more, check out Dork Side of the Force!