Ewan McGregor was born on March 31, 1971, in Perthshire, Scotland. Knowing early on that he wanted to study acting, Ewan left school at the age of sixteen with the approval of his parents who encouraged him to follow his dreams. After receiving professional acting training at both Kirkcaldy College and the prestigious London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Ewan landed a part on the 1993 television mini-series Lipstick on Your Collar. A breakthrough on the big screen followed with his lead role in Shallow Grave. After appearing in The Pillow Book, Ewan took on the role of Mark Renton in the controversial but highly-acclaimed Trainspotting. His portrayal as a heroin addict who decides to go straight made Ewan a recognizable movie star and is considered his big-screen breakthrough. McGregor’s other notable films since this time include Moulin Rouge, for which he received a Film Actor’s Award; the 2001 war drama Black Hawk Down; and the 2005 science fiction thriller The Island. McGregor is perhaps best known for playing Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first three episodes of the massively popular Star Wars films. The role was first held by Alec Guinness, and McGregor took care to model his performance closely after the original Obi-Wan. His upcoming projects include The Great Pretender, and a Woody Allen film whose title has not yet been released. McGregor has also, in recent years, formed his own production company along with fellow actors Johnny Lee Miller, Sean Pertwee, Jude Law, and Sadie Frost. Known as Natural Nylon, the group aims to produce original, thought-provoking films that do not conform to typical Hollywood ideals.

Ewan is married to Eve Mavrakis, a French production designer whom he met on the set of the television show Kavanagh QC. Since their marriage in 1995, the couple has had two daughters: Clara Mathilde, born in 1996, and Esther Rose, born in 2001. In April of 2006, the couple made a new addition to their family when they adopted a young girl from Mongolia. Ewan is known for being very protective over the privacy of his daughters. He refuses to allow them to be photographed, threatening legal action if his wishes are not followed. For this reason, the details of Ewan’s personal and family life have remained quite private.

YUDDY