“I like kissing boys on screen”: Star Wars Actor Ewan McGregor Made Jim Carrey’s Dream Come True With a Kiss
In the ever-evolving landscape of Hollywood, the artists always strive for better. Challenging societal norms and pushing boundaries is a constant. One such instance was when Ewan McGregor, the actor who became famous for playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars helped co-star Jim Carrey fulfill his dream.
The pair worked on the 2009 romantic drama I Love You Philip Morris, which was a bit challenging for both actors in more ways than one. But they powered through it all and were very gracious about it.
The Challenges of I Love You Philip Morris
The movie is based on true events. Starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor in leading roles, the movie follows a small-town cop, Steve Russell, played by Carrey who ends up in prison for conning people and falls in love with his inmate Philip Morris, played by McGregor.
Even though the film’s central idea was not that, a gay love story in 2009 did not ought to be a success with the audience. The reception could easily make or break the careers of the people involved. The actors, who are both heterosexuals, cared only about doing justice to their characters.
A testament to the general reservations on the matter is the fact that Disney allegedly delayed the release of I Love You Philip Morris because the studio was worried that Carrey’s character in A Christmas Carol, which was set to release around the same time, was gay.
As McGregor said in an interview:
“There was talk that Disney fended off the release [of I Love You Phillip Morris] until after A Christmas Carol came out,” McGregor said. “They didn’t want kids thinking Ebenezer Scrooge was a bender.”
The actors only ever talked highly of getting to play characters so different from themselves and do justice to the story as it was rooted in reality.
Ewan McGregor Made Jim Carrey’s Dream Come True
Even when the actors didn’t exactly have it easy with the film’s reception, if their interviews are anything to go by experience working on it was nothing short of spectacular. Making a really bold statement, McGregor said in an interview:
“I like kissing boys on screen. As a straight guy, it’s quite an interesting proposition,” he explained. “Anything on a film set that takes you by surprise like that, that gets your blood up, is good.”
As the Star Wars alum spoke like a true actor, the The Mask actor wasn’t far off either. Discussing the film in an interview, Carrey said:
“I don’t care about the reaction if it’s a negative reaction. I care about amazing people, and it’s incredible what occurred; it’s a true story, and it’s love. There were people in my circle who were concerned about it yeah, saying ‘I don’t know man – there’s some pretty edgy stuff in there’, but you need to push these boundaries.”
Read More: Ewan McGregor Net Worth – How Much Money Did He Make from Star Wars?
Moreover, Carrey went on to say that kissing McGregor was a dream come true. He jokingly said:
“I mean, look at the guy. I have to say he is a great kisser,”
Neither of them had any issue with the intimate scene and made their goal to give their best. And one of them just got their dream fulfilled.
I Love You Philip Morris is now streaming on Plex.
Source: Cheatsheet
