Ewan McGregor’s Family Connection to Original Star Wars Trilogy Films Before Obi-Wan Kenobi Casting- “just excited to see uncle Dennis”

Created by George Lucas, the space opera franchise Star Wars is one of the most beloved and successful film franchises in the world. The original trilogy consists of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, which was followed by a prequel trilogy and later, a sequel trilogy. Collectively they are described as the Skywalker Saga. Star Wars films are some of the most celebrated films across the galaxy, as the fans are deeply involved in the story.

The prequel trilogy marks the first act of the Skywalker Saga and stars Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Anthony Daniels, and more. The trilogy consisting of Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith marked Lucas’ return to directing films after a 22-year hiatus. Even though the first two episodes received mixed reviews, the third episode received a more positive response, but all three enjoyed commercial success. McGregor once revealed his family connection to Star Wars.

Ewan McGregor acknowledges the criticism the Star Wars prequel trilogy received

Scottish actor Ewan McGregor rose to fame when he portrayed Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy from 1999 to 2005. Actor Alec Guinness played an older version of the character in the Star Wars trilogy. McGregor was highly appreciated for his performance in the trilogy that he was called back for in the Disney+ show Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Ewan McGregor, was very reluctant to play Obi-Wan Kenobi, but was glad to be a part of the Star Wars world at the end. The actor had appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Last year, the actor explained why, according to him, the audience loves the prequel trilogy. He said,

I think it’s different people. The people that I met who really loved them were kids then. And nobody was listening to them because there was no internet, you know, and they were kids. But now, I’ve…I just feel closer to them. And I appreciate them.

McGregor mentioned that the idea to take on Star Wars was so massive, but the response they received at the time was not what they had expected. The first two films in the prequel trilogy, upon release, had received mixed reactions from the audience, and the actor noted that dealing with the criticism at the time was challenging for him. The actor opened up with Variety about his challenges and shared,

I am happy that I am this character for a lot of people, but when these films came out, they were so disliked. That was hard. The first one was panned, and we still had to make another two! It was weird to be in a film that was hammered.

However, over the years, the prequel trilogy has found its audience and is now regarded as one of the most beloved trilogies in the Star Wars franchise.

With the franchise now exploring and broadening its horizon, it can be rightly said that the prequel trilogy paved the way because it allowed the makers to explore different eras.

Ewan McGregor revealed his connection to the original Star Wars trilogy

The Scottish actor Ewan McGregor was a part of the prequel trilogy, but in an interview, he revealed his connection to the original Star Wars trilogy. In an archival interview, the actor revealed that his mother’s brother, Denis Lawson, portrayed Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars trilogy, which was very fascinating to them. He added,

My mum’s brother played Wedge in four, five, and six good shots, and then we sat down just excited to see Uncle Dennis. Then we got Star Wars as well, which blew us completely.

Later, in speaking to People, McGregor shared with Willie Geist that he had admired his uncle and described him as his hero. But he revealed that his uncle was always dismissive of being a part of the Star Wars franchise because he did a couple of weeks’ work and received a massive following. McGregor noted that Lawson did not enjoy the fame he got after sitting in a cardboard spaceship.

The actor also shared that Dennis Lawson had warned McGregor before he took up the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. McGregor added that his uncle was adamant that he shouldn’t take up the role, but the nearer he got to the character, the more he wanted to do it.

Ewan McGregor recalled that he was glad to have said yes to playing Obi-Wan Kenobi because he was an interesting character to play. He reprised his character for the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Star Wars prequel trilogy can be streamed on Disney+.