Something To Believe In

For the screen, Ewan McGregor has traversed drug binges, intergalactic exploits and even personified an animated candlestick. As he shares on the new skins he is stepping into, we see the manifold appeal encapsulated in the actor and why the make-believe is not entirely unbelievable.

- Joy Ling

For an actor who has spanned such a spectrum, the depiction could neatly match any one of his characters. From the heroin fuelled anti-hero to the hope-filled adventurer, there’s a distinct charm that Ewan McGregor carries into each performance. A spirited portraiture so personal that it’s hard to picture someone else for the role. There’s an intrinsic conviction of the story that he binds himself to; an intertwining of the soul in telling it.

What tale has he not told? A visceral response awakens in us when he expresses his devotion in an arresting Moulin Rouge melody. When he makes the trembling phone call on The Impossible, our hearts shake with him. Yet with such a diversified portfolio, the versatile Scottish actor professes no favourite genre. “I look for scripts that have something particular,” McGregor says, “I like anything that presents a sort of acting challenge.”

This time, one of the biggest talents in Hollywood faces the task of playing an older Danny Torrance in the upcoming Doctor Sleep; the long-awaited movie sequel to Stephen King’s The Shining.

“It’s a tall order to follow such a classic movie and to please both camps of Kubrick and Stephen King fans.” Rightly so, given how the author famously indicated his displeasure in the 1980 film adaptation, while its many hallmark scenes have become a part of pop culture (cue: Shelley Duvall screaming behind the hacked door).