You might be most familiar with Ewan McGregor from his time portraying the younger, more innocent version of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, as well as the upcoming Disney+ series, but his career offers so much more than his role in one of the biggest franchises of all times. He is known for a lovable ability to dive into any role he is given with accuracy, emotion, and humor.
We’ve used IMDb to rank the five films considered to be Ewan McGregor’s best and compared them to the five IMDb considers to be his worst.
Best: Moulin Rouge! (2001): 7.6
One of Ewan McGregor’s most well-known roles comes from his starring place in Baz Lurhmann’s romantic musical, Moulin Rouge!. It follows McGregor’s character, Christian, as he falls in love with an actress who stars in Paris’ Moulin Rouge show. It completes Lurhmann’s Red Curtain Trilogy in style, landing him an historic Best Picture nomination; the first musical to be nominated for Best Picture in ten years.
Worst: Mortdecai (2015): 5.5
There is a certain selection of Johnny Depp films that, despite the fact that they star one of the biggest actors of all time, just don’t work and fail on just about every level. Mortdecai is one of them.
This adaptation of the first Mortdecai book sees Depp star alongside Gwyneth Paltrow and Ewan McGregor, the latter playing Inspector Alistair Martland. Even McGregor couldn’t save the film, which was a critical and box office failure.
Best: Black Hawk Down (2001): 7.7
Ridley Scott’s war epic Black Hawk Down gave Ewan McGregor a chance at another starring role, just two years after fans were confused by his awful appearance in The Phantom Menace. He slotted into the film’s huge ensemble cast perfectly and was individually praised for his performance. The film itself was well-received despite a few controversial historical inaccuracies.
Worst: Jackboots On Whitehall (2010): 5.3
The main reason Jackboots On Whitehall is rated so low is because it focuses on puppets, and audiences simply tend to hate puppet films.
Critics picked up on the quality of the cast, which was a huge British ensemble including the likes of Ewan McGregor, Rosamund Pike, and Timothy Spall, but missed the moments of great satire, palming them off as boring and unfunny.
Best: Big Fish (2003): 8.0
Despite making so many world-famous films, Big Fish remain's director Tim Burton’s finest work—at least, according to critics. It centers on the stories of Edward Bloom, who is played by Albert Finney in the present and Ewan McGregor in flashbacks to his youth. It combines a heart-felt story with subtle elements of the trademark strangeness of a Burton picture.
Worst: Blue Juice: (1995): 5.3
Just looking at the cover of the 1995 film Blue Juice lets you know exactly what you’re in for. Surfboards, terrible editing, and strange fonts all merge into one mess of bland color and 90s hairstyles. Before Star Wars and Trainspotting, McGregor stepped into the role of this ill-fated drama as Dean Raymond and somehow managed to prove that he was a great actor.
Best: Trainspotting (1996): 8.1
Danny Boyle’s finest work places Ewan McGregor amongst a cast of other Scottish character actors and into one of the most endearing roles he ever played. Trainspotting follows a group of heroin addicts as they move through an economically disparaged life.
John Hodge’s screenplay adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s original novel was Oscar-nominated and allowed for the set of actors in the core roles to interact on a level that really allowed us to get under their skin.
Worst: Eye Of The Beholder (1999): 5.1
Ewan McGregor doesn’t typically end up in the more intense, thriller roles such as that of Eye Of The Beholder. In this mystery, he plays a character called Stephen Wilson, who is also known as The Eye and The Angel. It sounds intense, but, in the context of a terrible film full of nonsensical plot points and poor direction, nothing about his character or the events of the film draws you in. Maybe this is why McGregor isn't usually found in these roles?
Best: Fargo (8.9)
The only TV series that makes it onto Ewan McGregor’s list of best roles is Fargo, and, with an impressive 8.9 average, it runs straight into the top spot.
McGregor takes on the lead role in season three—it’s an anthology series telling a new story each season—playing Ray Stussy alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Nikki Swango. The couple ends up caught up in a double murder case after a botched robbery, with the complex past of those involved in their lives coming back to haunt them. McGregor’s character and performance are considered to be the high point of the season.
Worst: Stormbreaker (5.1)
Anthony Horowitz is known for being such a dab hand at mystery and suspense that he was chosen by Ian Fleming’s estate to continue writing James Bond books. His series of Alex Rider novels have been well-received by children and adults alike across the years, and even though he wrote the screenplay to Stormbreaker, it simply didn’t work. Ewan McGregor himself plays Ian Rider, Alex’s uncle and guardian after his parents died.