It's hard to believe, but it's now five years since the highly anticipated sequel to Trainspotting arrived in cinemas, reigniting the buzz around the world.
Two decades sober from heroin, Mark Renton returns to Edinburgh and reunites with Spud, Sick Boy, and Begbie.
Facing divorce, run down pubs, and drug addiction the gang hadn’t changed much since the first film.
T2 picked up a healthy £42.1 million, and was welcomed with positive reviews from critics.
On the fifth anniversary of its release, we’ve checked up on the cast to see what they’re up to now.
Ewan McGregor
Arguably the most successful from the cast, thanks to numerous high profile roles since the original Trainspotting came out in 1996, McGregor recently featured in the Netflix series Halston.
The miniseries was based on the life of the designer Halston, following the ups and downs in his fashion career.
Prior to this, McGregor starred in the Shining sequel; Doctor Sleep.
Aside from continuing a fortunate acting career, the Moulin Rouge and Star Wars actor recently spoke publicly about beating a long time smoking habit.
He revealed in a video that celebrity hypnotist Max Kirsten had helped ween him off the cigs.
Ewen Bremner
Edinburgh born actor Ewen Bremner played Spud in T2, and most recently starred in Creation Stories.
Debuting at the Glasgow Film Festival the biographical film tells the story of Alan McGee and Creation Records; a London based independent record label.
Just this week, a trailer was released for Bremner’s latest project; a comedy series Our Flag Means Death following a group of pirates.
Jonny Lee Miller
Another huge name in acting Miller went on to star in Dexter, as well as playing Sherlock Holmes in the CBS series Elementary.
In the upcoming season of The Crown, he’s set to play Prime Minister John Major in the series adaptation of the royal family.
Over the course of his career Miller has won an Olivier Award as well as being nominated for a BAFTA, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Teen Choice Award.
Sign up to our Edinburgh Live nostalgia newsletters for more local history and heritage content straight to your inbox
Robert Carlyle
Real life Begbie has enjoyed a much better life than his T2 character, featuring in many TV shows and movies since the Trainspotting movies.
Carlyle currently stars in the Sky One drama series COBRA, which follows the life of British Ex-Prime Minister Robert Sutherland.
On the big screen, the actor played Beatles band member John Lennon in the movie Yesterday.
In 2003, he played dictator Adolf Hitler in the TV mini-series Hitler: The Rise of Evil.
While filming he agreed to spend the night in a hotel room where Hitler and his mistress had slept, and claimed to be haunted by the Nazi leader following his stay.
Kelly Macdonald
Some may know her as Nanny McPhee, some may know her as Diane, but we all know she’s talented.
Debuting as an actress in Trainspotting, Macdonald had never trained as an actor though has gone on to have a hugely successful career.
Macdonald is set to star alongside Colin Firth in the upcoming Second World War film Operation Mincemeat, which looks at the 1943 allied invasion of Sicily.
Prior to this, she led the popular BBC drama Line of Duty for six seasons.
Bradley Welsh
In 2019, Bradley was shot dead by a hitman after a feud with drugs baron Mark Richardson.
In T2 he played gangster Mr Doyle, with no prior acting experience.
It was Danny Dyer’s documentary Deadliest Men that got Bradley noticed for the film, showcasing his transformation from the gangs of Edinburgh to a life of boxing.
After leaving the gym, Bradley was shot walking down the steps to his flat in Chester Street.
Police followed tips which led to the arrest of a 28-year-old man, and it’s thought the loss of a delivery of heroin and cocaine were behind the hit put out on Bradley.
