The “Trainspotting” and “Moulin Rouge!” Actor, 51 years old, next to his eldest daughter in “You sing loud, I sing louder”
“Hello, it’s Ewan.” To call from a Californian mobile phone, in a moment of pause from the party for the centenary of Moto Guzzi that brought it to Italy, in Mandello del Lario, is Ewan McGregor, collector of two wheels as much as of roles on the big and small screen. At 51, the star of «Trainspotting» e «Red Mill!”, a bit stunned by jet lag (he is Scottish, but now settled in Los Angeles) he says he is a proud father, returning from a film alongside his eldest daughter (he is 4, while his first child was born just over a year ago ).
When did your passion for motorcycles begin?
“When I was 6, I rode a toy motorcycle for an afternoon and fell in love with the idea of going fast. Then my parents didn’t let me anymore, but it remained fixed. So after acting school in London in 1992, I bought my first motorcycle. Now let’s say I have some (laughs) and my oldest Guzzi is from 1971 ».
In the 2007 documentary “Long Way Down”, he rode the motorcycle from Scotland to South Africa.
“Yes, and we also crossed Italy, albeit quickly. On other occasions I have discovered that I love Siena, with its beautiful square, and Lake Como where I often return ».
Are there any Italian directors you would like to act with?
«I’d like to work with Sorrentino, I love it “The great beauty” and I was lucky enough to present her nomination when she won the Oscar. Then I was on the jury at Cannes when Nanni Moretti presided over it: I’m a fan of him and it wouldn’t be bad to work with him too ».
It comes from the success of the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” miniseries. What was it like returning to the Star Wars universe?
“I was delighted to be doing this series and had to pretend I didn’t know anything for a long time because Disney didn’t want it to be revealed until the very end. I found the script well done and it was a pleasure to work with a director as good as Deborah Chow. It was nice to get back to a well-known and loved character nearly 20 years after the last film. Kind of like the sequel to “Trainspotting”: it was easy for me to go back to being Mark Renton ».
Don’t you find differences between fantasy and dramatic roles?
“For me it’s the same job because it’s always about being credible, with any character. What I do does not change and I think I have very broad tastes: I like stories, of any kind, I love to try my hand at different genres and I would like to continue doing it ».
He recently starred with his eldest daughter Clara, 26, in the film “You sing loud, I sing louder”. What’s it like to work with a daughter?
“Marvelous. And after the first few days when we almost couldn’t believe it, it felt very natural. She did everything: she produced the film, wrote it, she is the protagonist and I found her very good. I admired how she behaved with the team and then, even though I was already aware that she could act, she really impressed me. We play father and daughter, it’s our story, and it was extraordinary to be able to spend all that time together ».
In the film, the father accompanies his daughter to rehab: how did you prepare?
“Actually, we just threw ourselves into the part. We talked about it during the writing and then with the director, but I tried to let them do it. The film is a journey on the road and is about a young person suffering from addictions, has a strong feminine imprint and I think it was up to their generation to tell the story ».
When you learned that your daughter wanted to be an actress, did you give her any advice?
“No, just some practical help. But she followed his path independently, without needing me. “
Will he return to directing after «American Pastoral»?
“I can’t wait, but I have to find the right story because when you act in a film it takes you a few months, when you direct it goes away at least a year and a half.”
As a director, did you learn anything about actors?
“Everyone needs different instructions: some want to be left alone, others want to talk about each scene. It was interesting”.
Can you spot a favorite role so far?
«Impossible, everyone taught me something. Not about the movies and I don’t compare them. But I dedicate myself 100% to every role and therefore, at that moment, everyone is my favorite ».
September 20, 2022 (change September 20, 2022 | 10:08 am)
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