With his hotly anticipated return to the titular role in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ewan McGregor has proven himself a huge star on both the big and small screens. While the Scottish actor began his career performing in smaller British films during the mid-90s, his skills were eventually noticed all over the world when McGregor scored the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy in 1999.
He’s taken starring roles in musicals, dramas, horror films, and everything in between. The film website IMDb has assigned every McGregor movie a rating (on a scale of 1 to 10) based on the votes of fans.
Updated on May 18th, 2022, by Shawn S. Lealos: Ewan McGregor returns to the character of Obi-Wan Kenobi in 2022 for his own Disney+ streaming series. This will bring him back to the role he last played 17 years ago when he helped wrap up the Star Wars prequels, and it will remind fans of one of the bright points of that trilogy of movies.
With McGregor back in a blockbuster role once again, it is as good a time as any to go back and discover the impressive movie output that the actor has put out over his career. Unlike some actors, who have a handful of great performances under their belt, McGregor has several movies that IMDb fans gave good grades to, and even his 15th best movie is still more accepted than some actors’ best releases.
August: Osage County (2013) – 7.2
Streaming now on Fubo and Showtime.
In 2013, Ewan McGregor took on the role of Bill Fordham in the Pulitzer Prize-winning adaptation of the stage play of the same name. He was part of a large ensemble cast that included Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Chris Cooper.
While Streep and Roberts picked up Oscar nominations for their roles, McGregor also received praise for his performance as Julia Roberts’ estranged husband in the darkly humorous dramedy directed by the same man who created the play.
Beginners (2010) – 7.2
Available to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, and Vudu.
Ewan McGregor took on a lead role opposite Christopher Plummer in the 2010 movie Beginners. Told in flashbacks, McGregor is Oliver, a man who is reflecting on the life and death of his father. Plummer plays Oliver’s dad and the movie is based on director Mike Mills’s own experience when his father came out at the age of 75.
The flashbacks show the moments when Hal came out as gay to his son after Oliver’s mother died. As Hal takes part in the gay community, Oliver has to come to terms with the new truth while also attempting to start a romance with a French actress himself. Plummer received several accolades for her performance and Beginners finished on several top 10 lists.
The Ghost Writer (2010) – 7.2
Streaming now on Hoopla and IndieFlix.
The Ghost Writer was a 2010 thriller where Ewan McGregor played a ghostwriter, penning an autobiography of the former British Prime Minister Adam Lang, played by Pierce Brosnan. When Lang is accused of war crimes, the ghostwriter begins to receive documents pulling him into a massive conspiracy.
When the ghostwriter realizes he is being followed, he realizes his life is in danger and it might have to do with the former Prime Minister’s dealings. McGregor was nominated and won several awards for his role in the movie.
Brassed Off (1996) – 7.2
Available to rent on Prime Video and Google Play.
In 1996, Ewan McGregor came off roles in dark movies like Shallow Grave and Trainspotting and took on something very different in Brassed Off. This was a British comedy with Ewan taking the lead role alongside Pete Postlethwaite and Tara Fitzgerald.
The movie was about a colliery brass band during the time of the coal pit closures in Britain in the 1980s. While the movie dealt with the depression setting in on the community where the pits closed, it was praised for also positively promoting brass bands and their music.
T2 Trainspotting (2017) – 7.2
Streaming now on Tubi.
In 2017, Ewan McGregor went back to Trainspotting, the movie that made him a star. Danny Boyle brought his cast back 21 years after the first Trainspotting for its sequel, T2 Trainspotting. Only loosely based on the sequel novel, Porno, the movie has McGregor take on the role of Renton, 20 years after stealing the drug money from his friends.
He had made a new life and then suffered a heart attack two decades after his sobriety from heroin. Renton, going through a midlife crisis, returns to Edinburgh and reconnects with his old friends where he realizes old grudges are still brewing.
Christopher Robin (2018) – 7.2
Streaming now on Disney+.
McGregor took on the role of a grown-up Christopher Robin in this 2018 comedy-drama based on Winnie-the-Pooh books. Now living with his family in London, Christopher Robin is drowning in his busy work life.
He starts to reconsider his priorities, however, after reuniting with his childhood friends from the Hundred Acre Wood including Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, and Pooh. Christopher Robin‘s sweet story and charming humor helped bring new life and nostalgia to the Winnie-the-Pooh franchise.
Shallow Grave (1994) – 7.3
Available to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, and Vudu.
Though McGregor was relatively unknown in 1994, he still managed to score a role in this British black comedy crime picture. Shallow Grave finds an accountant, doctor, and journalist (McGregor) searching out a roommate for their apartment.
After the new guy ends up dying of a drug overdose, however, the three must figure out what to do with him and his cash. The layered plot and stylish feel of Shallow Grave had viewers entranced.
Doctor Sleep (2019) – 7.3
Streaming now on HBO Max.
Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep, a direct sequel to his 1977 novel The Shining, arrived on the big screen in 2019. In it, McGregor stars as Danny Torrance, a psychic man who must keep a girl with special powers safe after she is targeted by a cult called the True Knot.
The rich story and terrifying twists had moviegoers instantly pulled into the story. It is also a rarity because it took the movie and book, which were strikingly different, and Doctor Sleep offered a sequel to both of them in one shot.
The Impossible (2012) – 7.5
Available to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, and Vudu.
The Impossible, which is based on the real experiences of María Belón, follows a family who ends up getting stuck in the 2003 Indian Ocean tsunami while on a trip around Christmastime.
The five-member family included Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor as the parents, and Tom Holland as their 12-year-old son. The strong acting and tense story had viewers on the edge of their seats.
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith (2005) – 7.6
Streaming now on Disney+.
Ewan McGregor entered the fantastical Star Wars universe in 1999, playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace. The actor continued his role throughout the prequel trilogy, ending with Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith in 2005.
In this installment, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker team up to save Chancellor Palpatine General Grievous. However, after Anakin is asked to spy on Palpatine, it’s not long before he’s tricked into joining the Dark Side. The thought-out narrative and thrilling yet emotional conclusion left fans satisfied.
Moulin Rouge! (2001) – 7.6
Streaming now on Starz.
This 2001 jukebox musical follows a young English writer who falls hard for the star cabaret performer of the Moulin Rouge. However, he must soon deal with her approaching marriage to someone else, and the secret she’s kept from both her lovers.
Audiences loved Moulin Rouge!‘s over-the-top, eccentric style. The chemistry between the leads (McGregor and Nicole Kidman) was also difficult to ignore. The film won Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design at the Oscars.
Black Hawk Down (2001) – 7.7
Streaming now on HBO Max.
McGregor took on the role of SPC “Grimesey” in this 2001 war film, based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Mark Bowden. The movie focuses on the U.S. military raid that occurred during the Battle of Mogadishu.
Black Hawk Down was regarded for its polished production and frantic story. This had it earning Best Film Editing and Best Sound at the Academy Awards.
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015) – 7.8
Streaming now on Disney+.
Though McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi didn’t make a physical appearance in The Force Awakens, he did receive a voice cameo toward the beginning of the sequel trilogy. The Force Awakens picks up thirty years after the Galactic Empire has been destroyed.
Now, Han Solo, Rey, Finn, and their allies face the threat of Kylo Ren and the First Order. During one scene in which Rey picks up Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber, you can hear McGregor whisper her name. The Force Awakens received praise for renewing the franchise with big action, dazzling visual effects, and engaging new characters.
Big Fish (2003) – 8.0
Streaming now on Netflix.
Based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Daniel Wallace, Tim Burton’s Big Fish follows a man, William, who must visit his father, Edward, on his deathbed. Though William believes his dad’s fanciful stories are made-up, he starts to discover the truth behind them after looking a little deeper.
McGregor plays a young Edward in the multiple flashbacks to his earlier life. Big Fish‘s emotional story and artful fairytale setting impressed moviegoers.
Trainspotting (1996) – 8.1
Available to rent on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, and Vudu.
Topping off the list of McGregor’s highest-rated films of all time is Trainspotting. This 1996 British black comedy crime film focuses on the lives of heroin addicts in an economically struggling section of Edinburgh. McGregor plays Mark “Rent Boy” Renton, who deals with unemployment while living with his parents in the suburbs.
The film received much acclaim for dealing with serious subjects while packing in the entertainment. Additionally, critics called out McGregor in particular for his detailed performance, which was hard to match.
