Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor, Scotland's biggest movie star since Sean Connery, climbed inexorably through the Hollywood ranks. He crooned with and pined for Nicole Kidman in the award-winning Moulin Rouge. He fought alongside Josh Hartnett and Tom Sizemore in Ridley Scott's super-contemporary military action epic Black Hawk Down. And then he was the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy that began with The Phantom Menace, amongst the most successful films of all time. Add to this the controversy surrounding Trainspotting and the many furores caused by Ewan's continual onscreen nudity, and you have a very famous actor, indeed.

Ewan Gordon McGregor was born on the 31st of March, 1971, in Crieff, Perthshire, out in the sticks a few miles north of Edinburgh. His parents - James Charles Stuart McGregor and Carole Diane Lawson - were both teachers, ensuring that Ewan and his older brother Colin (now an RAF pilot) were given a liberal and rounded education. James was furthermore director of the Crieff Highland Games, an event held annually since 1870 and Ewan would come to help him, actually being awarded the title of Chieftain of the Games in 2001. He would remain very close to his parents, Carole still acting as his official spokesperson, as well as dealing with his personal appearances and fan mail.