Why Playing Kenobi In Obi-Wan Was Easier For Ewan McGregor Than Prequels
Ewan McGregor explains why it was easier for him to play Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Disney+ series than it was in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Although first seen in 1977's original Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, played by Alec Guinness, McGregor's first appearance as Obi-Wan Kenobi was in 1999's Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. At first a Padawan to Liam Neeson's Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan eventually becomes a powerful Jedi in his own right, even holding a position on the Jedi council in Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith.
Taking place after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and before Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi introduces a defeated version of McGregor's titular character. At the start of the series, Obi-Wan is living a quiet, solitary life on Tatooine, looking after a young Luke Skywalker but, when the young Princess Leia is kidnapped, the aging Jedi Master emerges from hiding to pursue her. Obi-Wan Kenobi earned mostly positive reviews from both audiences and critics and, although there's been no official word from Disney, McGregor has expressed his willingness to return for another season.
Related: Obi-Wan Kenobi's Finale Proved Your Reva Complaints Wrong, Eventually
In a new interview with GQ breaking down his most iconic characters, McGregor reveals that playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the series was easier than in George Lucas' prequel trilogy. McGregor explains that channeling Guinness, to a certain degree, has always been important to his portrayal of the character. With the solitary version of the character in Obi-Wan Kenobi more akin to Guinness' depiction of the character, McGregor says that he was ultimately able to feel closer to the late actor than ever
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