From the Force to Fashion, McGregor Stays Sober Through It All
While he’s famous now for wielding a lightsaber as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, the force wasn’t always with Ewan McGregor. He’s known to have played addicts in movies such as Trainspotting and, most recently, the Netflix special Halston, but some people don’t realize he battled his own addiction with alcohol for several years. Recently McGregor sat down for a candid interview and discussed his 21 years of sobriety.
Trainspotting
When he took on the role of a heroin addict in the 1996 film Trainspotting, he never imagined he’d have his own battle with addiction. While he didn’t turn to hard drugs, he did turn to the antidepressant alcohol. According to McGregor, he started out as a happy drunk, but that quickly turned to misery and self-shame for the A-list actor.
McGregor, who has four children with his wife Eva Mavrakis, was shocked that none of his coworkers confronted him about his growing problem. Looking back, he recalled showing up to sets reeking of alcohol and thus limiting his performance due to his addiction. According to McGregor, “When you work drunk, you find one way to play a scene, and that’s it.”
The Fear of Losing Everything and Finding Sobriety
The Scottish star’s alcoholism would follow him for several years until one day, he decided it was time to stop drinking. He explained that he feared losing everything he worked so hard to achieve if he continued down that dark path. McGregor knew he was lucky to make it as far as he had and somehow realized that he could lose everything from his family to his career if he didn’t give up drinking.
Though he carries a certain amount of guilt that he allowed alcohol to consume his life for several years, he’s gained a new outlook after over two decades of sobriety. For McGregor, seeing characters as addicts allows him to see through a “different lens of understanding,” so it did help him gain perspective for playing such roles. An everyday part of his life is staying sober, so he can relate to these characters and understand why they turn to different addictions.
Playing Roy Halston
In fact, it’s his past addiction that recently helped him take on the role of famous fashion designer Roy Halston in the Netflix special Halston. The designer was famous for frequenting Studio 54 every night and doing line after line of cocaine, all while his business was in serious trouble. Yet, Halston, in his mind, didn’t have a problem and could stop the drugs whenever he wanted. However, Ewan knows that this isn’t the case for all addicts.
With over 21 years of sobriety under his belt, McGregor has finally reached a point in his life where he feels good about his fame. He goes to work and does his best while never getting the urge to call in sick or dodge his responsibilities. He credits his sobriety with providing him joy, happiness, and peace in his life. There’s no longer the need to lie when journalists ask him questions, and he literally feels like the force is with him each day!
