Ewan McGregor discusses his game-changing role in ‘Trainspotting’
Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting was released 26 years ago, yet its exploration of economic depression and poverty is as prevalent today as it was in 1996. The film, which stars Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner, and Robert Carlyle as heroin addicts, is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies of the 1990s.
Trainspotting was an important part of the ‘Cool Britannia’ period, which celebrated ’90s youth culture, with Britpop soundtracking the era. Boyle’s film features a heavy Britpop soundtrack, including Pulp, Blur, Elastica, and Sleeper.
So much can be attributed to the success of Trainspotting, from its stellar soundtrack to its hard-hitting subject matter, which is perfectly woven between comedic moments. However, the film would be nothing without its incredible leading performance by McGregor.
His portrayal of Mark Renton, the struggling unemployed heroin addict who attempts to quit drugs, is beautifully emotive. McGregor truly brings to life the multi-layered effects of being an addict and how this affects a person’s relationships – not only with others but with themselves too.
In an interview with British GQ, McGregor discussed how he landed his career-defining role as Renton. He said, “Trainspotting was my fourth movie. It came out of a conversation with Danny [Boyle] in Andrew MacDonald’s office […]. They showed me the script when we were in Sundance with Shallow Grave. […] He said, ‘I’m not offering you the script, I just want you to see just what your thoughts are.'”
McGregor details how when he read the script, he thought “the idea of not getting to play that part, the idea of someone else getting to play that part was too much to bear. I had to do it.”
McGregor starred to lose weight to secure the role, which impressed Boyle. The actor continued: “It was just one of those moments where everything seemed to come together, the music, the actors, the writing, the subject matter.”
McGregor also prepared for his role by visiting a train station on his days off from shooting The Pillow Book, where he would study the heroin addicts that hung out there. He said: “There’s something they call it in Scotland, they call it gouching […] but nodding or whatever, when heroin addicts , they sort of like nod off […] I was watching this guy outside the train station, he just folded like a book.”
Renton’s signature slouch that he does in the opening of the film was based on this encounter. McGregor also explains how his performance was inspired by the book Iced by Ray Shell, which he claims was “really useful” for exploring the “mindset of somebody who doesn’t want to be taking drugs but can’t stop.”
Another point made by McGregor was the importance of working with the Calton Athletic Club, a group of recovering addicts that advocated against methadone use. The actor also revealed that the cast was supervised by a man named Eamon, who ensured that the heroin use in the film looked authentic.
Check out the full video below, which also sees McGregor discuss Trainspotting’s 2017 sequel, as well as Star Wars and Fargo, among other projects.
