It's hard to imagine anybody other than Ewan McGregor taking on the role of the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. However, there was a time when the Birds of Prey actor was being dissuaded by people from taking on the role. Interestingly, one of those big names happens to be Denis Lawson, who is best known for playing Wedge Antilles.
McGregor recently spoke to People about the time when he was first offered the role in The Phantom Menace. Not surprisingly, the Doctor Sleep star stated that he was eager to do it since his uncle had previously worked in the Star Wars original trilogy.
"When my parents took me to see Star Wars for the first time in a cinema, to see my uncle on the screen but also it was Star Wars, it blew my mind," McGregor shared. However, his uncle wasn't exactly proud of his own work.
"He was always really dismissive of it because he did a couple of weeks work, sitting in a cardboard spaceship… and yet he had this massive following. It sort of annoyed him," McGregor said.
In case you didn't know, McGregor is actually the nephew of Lawson and he had some surprising advice for the Trainspotting star back in the 90s.
"He was one of the people who said, ‘Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it," McGregor admitted. "And then the nearer I got to it, the more I wanted to do it."
McGregor then added, "I'm so glad I did because it was so interesting to be part of that."
It looks like Lawson also didn't mind playing Wedge all over again. He reprised the role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. It's great to know that there are just some roles you can't easily leave behind.
McGregor is set to return in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series that will air on Disney+.
Related: Mark Hamill Reacts to 20-Month-Old Fan's Adorable Star Wars Names
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