Ewan McGregor has appeared in some of the most iconic movies of all time. The acclaimed Scottish actor got his start with director Danny Boyle on the 1994 film Shallow Grave and has continued to work with some of the best directors ever since. He’s worked with Ridley Scott, Roman Polanski, Steven Soderbergh, Baz Luhrman, Todd Haynes, Tim Burton, Woody Allen, and many more.
This weekend, McGregor is set to face the Overlook Hotel when Doctor Sleep arrives in theaters. As we anticipate the release, it’s time to take a look back at some of McGregor’s most memorable moments. Here are Ewan McGregor’s 10 best movies, according to Rotten Tomatoes!
10 Little Voice (79%)
Beating out the 1996 McGregor film Brassed Off by less than ten critic reviews, the romantic musical comedy Little Voice is good enough to crack the Top 10.
The breezy 1998 film follows LV (Jane Horrocks), a shy woman who is coaxed into singing by the ghost of her father. To LV’s shock, her voice is showcased at a local talent show. As the event draws near, LV meets Billy (McGregor), an equally timid telephone designer who races pigeons in his spare time. LV and Billy strike up an unlikely bond as the concert nears.
9 Haywire (80%)
McGregor joined an A-list ensemble in Steven Soderbergh’s sleek action-thriller Haywire in 2011, mixing it up with the likes of Michael Fassbender, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Channing Tatum and more!
The film follows the badass operative Mallory Kane (Gina Carano), who is contracted out by her boss to handle ruthless and violent missions around the globe. McGregor plays Kenneth in the film, the man who gives Kane the mission of posing as the wife of an MI6 agent in Dublin. When Kane realizes she’s been set up, she exacts revenge!
8 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith (80%)
Wait, a Star Wars prequel is popular even among critics? You don’t say.
While McGregor’s voice returned as Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Force Awakens a few years ago, according to Rotten Tomatoes, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith still remains the cream of the crop.
The finale of the prequel trilogy increases the action and violence as Obi-Wan and Skywalker attempt to save Chancellor Palpatine from a rebel spaceship. For their iconic fight scene, McGregor and Hayden Christensen did intense fitness and fencing training for two months.
7 The Impossible (81%)
Based on the real-life environmental disaster that struck Thailand in 2004, McGregor and Naomi Watts starred as a couple desperate to save their family from a devastating tsunami in The Impossible.
While on Christmas vacation in Thailand, a family of five visit their hotel swimming pool after exchanging gifts. Soon a gigantic wave crashes and submerges the entire area, separating certain family members from each other. The visceral realism of the film won critics over in the way the tsunami was recreated visually. Watts earned an Oscar nomination for her performance.
6 T2 Trainspotting (81%)
The dope-sick trials and tribulations of Renton, Sick Boy, Spud, and Begbie continue 20 years later in Danny Boyle’s well-received sequel T2 Trainspotting!
The narrative drive of the film speeds up when Renton (McGregor) returns to his old stomping ground and reunites with his heroin-addicted best friends. With his life much cleaner and simpler now than in 1996, Renton must decide if he wants to fall back into old habits and self-destructive tendencies or remain clear-headed and self-righteous. Will Renton choose the path of death or will he choose life?
5 The Ghost Writer (84%)
In Roman Polanski’s superb political thriller, McGregor plays a ghost-writer hired to pen the memoir of former British Prime Minister, Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). As he digs up research for the book, The Ghost (McGregor) is swept up in a strange murder plot full of political intrigue.
As the plot thickens, The Ghost turns into an investigative journalist determined to find answers to the danger that surrounds him. The closer he gets, the more imperiled he becomes, with Lang’s wife Ruth (Olivia Williams) complicating matters as the femme-fatale.
4 Emma (84%)
Based on the acclaimed Jane Austen novel, Emma stars Gwyneth Paltrow as a bumbling matchmaker who can’t help but mettle in the romantic lives of others. Yet, when romance falls on her doorstep, she has no idea how to act.
Eventually, Emma is able to recognize her true match in the charming Mr. Knightley (Jeremy Northam). In just his seventh feature film, McGregor plays the small role of Frank Churchill, a dashing young lad who Emma is briefly drawn to. However, Emma ends up matching Frank with her friend, Harriet, before pursuing Mr. Knightley in earnest.
3 Beginners (85%)
Indie auteur Mike Mills struck comedic gold by pairing McGregor with the likes of Christopher Plummer in the hilarious heartfelt family-comedy Beginners.
In the film, McGregor plays Oliver Fields, a graphic-artist dealing with the death of his mother. In the attempt to become closer with his cancer-ridden father, Hal (Plummer), Oliver begins spending more time with him. But when Hal suddenly announces that he’s come out as a gay man who now lives with a much younger lover, Oliver is gobsmacked. Shock turns to acceptance, and acceptance turns to unconditional love between father and son.
2 Trainspotting (90%)
With a whopping 90% critical approval rating, Trainspotting just might always be the most well-regarded McGregor movie of all time. We shall see.
The gritty tale of wayward, heroin-addicted twenty-somethings in impoverished Edinburgh not only put McGregor on the international map, but it also did the same for filmmaker Danny Boyle. McGregor plays Renton with unmatched honesty, a man who must make the difficult decision to turn his back on his closest friends to overcome addiction. In the end, Renton forgoes his self-destructive ways and chooses life instead!
1 Humpback Whales (100%)
Although he only narrates the film, accruing 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is no easy feat! The 2015 docu-film Humpback Whales explores the natural patterns of living among humpback whales in the cold waters of Alaska, warm waters of Hawaii, and the temperate waters off the coast of Tonga.
Filmed with IMAX 3D cameras, the breathtaking underwater footage is set to McGregor’s exhilarating narration. The film was nominated for a Motion Pictures Sound Editing award for capturing humpback whale singing and communication. A whale of a movie indeed!