Ewan McGregor showed his kids the toilet scene in ‘Trainspotting’
Despite his fame in the more child-friendly Star Wars universe, actor Ewan McGregor has a particularly unique way of connecting his work with his children – by showcasing a rather infamous scene from his earlier film, Trainspotting.
“I wasn’t there when [my daughter] Clara watched Trainspotting for the first time. But I did used to show my kids’ the toilet scene.’ Just for a laugh,” he shared during the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. “It’s a unique situation, perhaps, for a father to be able to show his children footage of him going down the toilet”.
McGregor was at the festival promoting Emma Westenberg’s You Sing Loud, I Sing Louder, a road movie co-starring his own daughter. “It was a beautiful experience,” he reminisced, stressing how working alongside his own kin was “extraordinary. It never felt anything other than free and wonderful”.
But McGregor’s unique cinema lessons for his children didn’t stop there. He also recalled sharing a viewing of Moulin Rouge! with Clara. “I have a memory of showing Clara the film,” he said. “I think she was 9 years old. I put it on, and then I hear this wailing and crying. I rushed in, asking if I should switch it off and she went: ‘Noooo!'”
While at the festival, McGregor discussed his iconic roles and long-standing collaboration with director Danny Boyle, with whom he worked on 1994’s Shallow Grave – his very first film. “I felt like ‘his’ actor, and that’s what I wanted to be. He will always be very important,” McGregor noted.
McGregor, who recently reprised his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Disney+ show of the same name and is currently working on the eight-episode series A Gentleman in Moscow for Paramount +, was awarded the KVIFF’s Festival President’s Award.
During the ceremony, a highlight reel of his impressive career was played, which prompted an emotional response from the actor: “This is like a dream to see that, you know. It was my dream as a little boy to become an actor, and that’s the thing of dreams, seeing that reel.”
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.