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Daily Record
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Siobhan Macdonald

Ewan McGregor reveals what he misses most about Scotland

Ewan McGregor reveals what he misses most about Scotland during his appearance at Comic Con in Edinburgh.

The Star Wars actor moved to Los Angeles after becoming fed up of fans approaching him for "soulless" selfies. The 51-year-old actor would even walk around London while he lived there with his head down to avoid eye contact with people.

In the video, posted on YouTube by Monopoly Events, he said: "I miss the most about Scotland, is of course my family. My mum and dad and my brother and his wife Sarah and my nephew and my niece. And being able to pop round for a cup of tea... I don't have that when I'm in the States."

McGregor, who grew up in Crieff, Perthshire, says he misses the beauty of the Scottish landscape including one particular smell. He said: "I miss the landscape. I miss the air in Scotland. I miss the smell of the rain, the smell of the green and the colours of Scotland.

"And the people and the culture. I could just keep going on and on. What am I doing living over there!"

Ewan McGregor plays Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi in the new Disney+ series of the same name (David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage)

Speaking about his decision to leave the UK, he told Sunday Sitdown podcast in 2020: “As an actor you have to put yourselves in the shoes of other people and if you don’t get to be in the world then your work isn’t based on anything.

“I don’t want to have to not walk down the street. There are some places where it is easier to do than others. It got harder for me in London I felt and I don’t live in London anymore probably, maybe as a result. I noticed that when I would go somewhere alone I would be walking very fast with my head down.

“I’m always happy to speak to people if they want to come up and talk about my work, I really am, but it’s turned into just doing selfies with people. There is no conversation, there is no communication. All it is is someone comes up and wants a photograph so you stand and you take the photograph and they’re happy and off they go.

“It’s a soulless thing. There’s no exchange of anything. Whereas before it used to be ‘Oh I saw you in that movie’. Even if people didn’t like something, especially in Scotland, I would get ‘That movie you were in was s**t by the way’.

“At least there was some sort of exchange and that’s more satisfying for both parties I would think. But that’s turned into just the selfie now.”

During his most recent trip to Scotland, Ewan was joined by fellow Scots from the hit show Still Game while at Comic Con. They posed for photos with the Star Wars legend while also appearing at the conference in Edinburgh.

Scots actors Paul Riley, Gavin Mitchell, Sanjeev Kohli and Jane McCarry bumped into Star Wars icon Ewan McGregor at the weekend bash. Sanjeev Kohil - who played shopkeeper Naveed in the Scottish sitcom - shared the snap on Twitter with the caption "Obi-Wan Kenobi finally meets Boabby-Wan Kenobi".

Paul Riley (Winston Ingram), Gavin Michelle (Boaby the barman), Ewan McGregor, Sanjeev Kohil (Naveed) and Jane McCarry (Isa Drennan). (Twitter/Sanjeev Kohil)

He's joined in the snap by Jane McCarry, best known as Craiglang's local gossip Isa Drennan, Gavin Michelle, who played Boaby the barman and Paul Riley, who played Winston Ingram. Scottish fans were delighted by the meet up with one calling it the "crossover everyone has been waiting for".

Comic Con Scotland took place over last weekend (Saturday 8 and Sunday 9) at the Royal Highland Centre. Those in attendance were able to meet Star Wars royalty in Obi Wan Kenobi as well as legends Anthony Daniels, Jimmy Vee, Angus MacInnes and Denis Lawson.

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