Ewan McGregor, Beginners

Scots-born and bred Ewan McGregor follows his role as the imprisoned object of Jim Carrey’s affection in I Love You, Phillip Morris with another true life tale in Beginners. Writer-director Mike Mills’ 2010 comedy-drama is a salute to his late father who, as a 75-year-old widower, came out as a happy homosexual. McGregor talks about the tricky business of playing a version of your director, his filial relationship with costar Christopher Plummer, and why you can’t "play gay." He also explains how he chooses roles as diverse as Polanski’s The Ghost Writer, Lucas’ Star Wars and Boyle’s Trainspotting.

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