Ewan McGregor Says 'Lying' About the Upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Wars Series Was 'Awkward'
Ewan McGregor is not a fan of lying — even when he’s contractually obligated to do so.
McGregor opened up about his return to the Star Wars universe with the Obi-Wan Kenobi spin-off series on Disney+, admitting that keeping the project a secret was a struggle.
“It’s awkward,” he said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday. “The studio and the franchises, they want to keep everything totally secret, of course, which I understand, but as the person being asked over and over and over again, ‘Would you do it again?’ And I’m already talking to them about it, but I can’t say that I am.”
The actor, 48, said the more he was asked about the possibility of reprising his role as the beloved Obi-Wan Kenobi, the harder it became to lie.
“For four years, I was saying, ‘Well I’d be happy to do it again! I’m just waiting for the call.’ But all the while, it was embarrassing!” he said. “Lying!”
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The highly anticipated spin-off series was announced at Disney’s D23 Expo in August, with McGregor appearing on stage to confirm the news himself.
McGregor famously starred as the beloved Obi-Wan Kenobi in the three Star Wars prequels: The Phantom Menace, Revenge of the Sith and Attack of the Clones.
Fans of Star Wars know that Kenobi is a central figure in the franchise who guides both Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Anakin Skywalker in the ways of the Jedi. In the original trilogy, Kenobi was played by Alec Guinness, and then by McGregor in the prequel films that starred Jake Lloyd and then Hayden Christiansen as Anakin.
The as-yet-untitled series isn’t the only addition to the Star Wars universe: The Mandalorian is set to premiere in November on Disney’s forthcoming streaming platform, Disney+. Written by Jon Favreau, the series — set five years after Return of the Jedi — follows a galactic bounty hunter.
