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, Steven Soderbergh, Baz Luhrman, Todd Haynes, Tim Burton, and many more. The best Ewan McGregor movies often come with impressive directors too.
Updated on May 13th, 2022, by Shawn S. Lealos: Ewan McGregor will be back in the spotlight in 2022 as he returns to the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in his own solo series on Disney+ streaming. The series will take place after the events of Revenge of the Sith and show what Obi-Wan did after taking his station on Tatooine to watch over the young Luke Skywalker.
McGregor has an impressive list of movies under his belt, and with him taking on what was arguably his most famous role again, it might be a good time to go back and look at his past movies, which include a solid mix of dramas, romances, action movies, and even a couple of musicals.
Moulin Rouge! (2001) - 76%
- Streaming now on Starz.
In 2001, Baz Luhrmann directed the Oscar-nominated Moulin Rouge! and he cast Ewan McGregor in the lead role opposite Nicole Kidman. The extravagant musical had McGregor star as Christian, an English poet and hopeless romantic who falls in love with a courtesan named Saline.
The movie was a hit, picking up eight Oscar nominations, including one for Kidman's performance as Satine. McGregor was also praised, earning a Best Actor nomination at the Golden Globes and winning Best Actor at the Satellite Awards.
Black Hawk Down (2001) - 77%
- Streaming now on HBO Max.
In 2001, Ridley Scott directed the war movie Black Hawk Down. Based on the non-fiction book by Ken Nolan, which itself was based on the U.S. military raid of Mogadishu, the movie told the story of a group of Task Force Rangers sent in for a rescue m mission, only to find one of their choppers shot down.
Ewan McGregor is Grimesey in the movie, as part of an ensemble cast that included Josh Hartnett, Tom Sizemore, Jason Isaacs, Tom Hardy, and more. The movie picked up four Oscar nominations, including one for Best Director.
Doctor Sleep (2019) - 78%
- Streaming now on HBO Max.
In 2019, Mike Flanagan brought the Stephen King novel The Shining, but it was also more than that. King has often criticized the movie since it was different in many ways from the book. Flanagan found a way to create a sequel to both.
Ewan McGregor is an adult Dan Torrance, and he picked up his dad's vices as an alcoholic. By the time the movie starts, he is recovering and then meets a little girl who has the Shining, same as he did. However, this is when he learns that there are many others, and some will kill to maintain immortality.
Birds of Prey (2020) - 79%
- Streaming now on HBO Max.
In 2020, Ewan McGregor ed a comic book franchise. It was in the DCEU and he took on the role of classic Batman villain, Black Mask. However, this wasn't a Batman movie as he faced off with Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey. It was a rare turn as a villain for McGregor.
It was a great turn from McGregor, who was flamboyant and over-the-top as the club owner and mafia boss who felt that the world owed him something. His misogynistic acts toward the women in the movie made his fate at the hands of these female heroes perfect karma.
Little Voice (1998) - 79%
- Available to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, and Vudu.
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.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith (2005) - 79%
- Streaming now on Disney+.
While Ewan McGregor's voice returned as Obi-Wan Kenobi in 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.
Brassed Off (1996) - 80%
- Available to rent on Prime Video and Google Play.
Brassed Off was an early Ewan McGregor effort that took the dramatic turns he had excelled in at the time and mixed it with some romance to show his versatility as an actor. The movie takes place in Britain when the government was shutting down coal pits and destroying entire communities.
A woman sent to determine the fate of one of these communities s a brass band there and meets McGregor's character. The movie was highly praised at the time for its portrayal of these brass bands and their music while also touching on the depression that kicks in when jobs begin to disappear.
Haywire (2011) - 80%
- Streaming now on Max Go.
McGregor ed 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.
The Impossible (2012) - 81%
- Available to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, and Vudu.
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 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.
T2 Trainspotting (2017) - 81%
- Available to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, and Vudu.
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?
