Pucker Up For Perfect Lips

26 December 2001

THE season to pucker up and smooch is about to go into overdrive...

But the kissing season arrives at the same time as the cold weather, which creates havoc with lips.

The delicate skin on your lips is thinner and finer than on the rest of your face.

Neglect it and you can expect lips that are dry, chapped and cracked.

Thankfully, shops are full of lip balms, salves, moisturising lipsticks and lip treatments.

[...]

According to a survey conducted by Aero, a quarter of women in Scotland fancy kissing Ewan McGregor, with Brad Pitt following a close second.

Scottish men put Kylie Minogue on top of their kiss list, with Saturday morning favourite, Cat Deeley coming second.

The biggest turn off for men was the thought of snogging Margaret Thatcher, while woman hated the idea of kissing Chris Evans.


Source (and full article): This is North Scotland


Thank you Perditum for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Sunday, December 30, 2001 // 06:55 p.m.

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Daredevil Ewan To Dive Under Arctic Ice

Sunday, December 30, 2001

BRAVE Hollywood star Ewan McGregor is to take his life in his hands by diving under the Arctic ice.

He will risk meeting polar bears and whales in the freezing Canadian waters to shoot a documentary with Scots TV producer Doug Allan.

Ewan, who has already survived 10 days in the Honduras jungle, said: "I'm doing a trip in May with Doug, who shot a lot of the BBC's Blue Planet series. We're going to dive under the ice in the Arctic."

The Moulin Rouge star was seen by millions of viewers being pushed to his limits as he braved the rainforest in Honduras for the BBC show Trips Money Can't Buy.

He said: "It was very very tough. I wanted to challenge myself. I actually do have a great taste for that kind of adventure."

But Trainspotting and Star Wars hero doesn't like to be away from his family too long.

He will tell BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs listeners today of his fears for his oldest child Clara, five, who was hit by a meningitis scare.

Ewan said: "Clara got meningitis just before she was one. I was away in LA.

"The very real risk that you're about to lose your child is something that takes a lot of getting over."

Source: Sunday Mail

Thank you Chris for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Sunday, December 30, 2001 // 07:14 a.m.

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Ewan McGregor threatens to quit acting

Story filed: 09:30 Sunday 30th December 2001

Ewan McGregor is threatening to give up acting.

He says he feels much more at home as an adventurer and documentary maker.

McGregor tells BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs he's not interested in being famous.

"I have a great taste for adventure. I feel much more like me, and I'm not surrounded by people who are doing stuff for me," McGregor said.

"I've spent far too long on film sets surrounded by hundreds of people where every decision is made for you."

"I've worked with some actors whose goal and mission is to be as famous as they can be, but I'm not interested in that," he said. "It's very hard to work with those people."

Source: Ananova


Talk about jumping to conclusions... Read the quotes... he doesn't threaten to quit! Sheesh.

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Sunday, December 30, 2001 // 07:11 a.m.

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Ewan's jungle trek to air on the Travel Channel in the U.S.

Ewan's hour-longTrips Money Can't Buy, in which he treks through a Central American jungle for 10 days with guide Ray Mears will air on:

Tuesday, January 22nd at 8pm and at 11pm, and on Saturday, January 26th at 3pm. All times are U.S. Eastern.

Source: TV Now


Thank you Melinda for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Thursday, December 27, 2001 // 10:21 a.m.

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Civil War re-enacted in battle for viewers

THURSDAY DECEMBER 27 2001
BY ADAM SHERWIN, MEDIA REPORTER

AFTER the bodice-ripping dramas of Elizabeth I, the bloody battles of the Civil War will dominate cinema and television screens next year as audiences for popular history continue to increase.

Rupert Everett will play Charles I, vanquished by Tim Roth’s Cromwell in a £15 million British film. On BBC2, a Civil War series will begin next month, presented by Tristram Hunt, 27, who promises to bring the gory drama of the battle of Marston Moor, the Irish Rebellion and the execution of Charles I into the nation’s living rooms.

History has become a “sexy” subject for filmmakers, with Professor David Starkey’s Channel 4 series on Elizabeth I and Henry VIII attracting more viewers than the hit comedy Friends.

The 1998 film Elizabeth, about the monarch’s early years and starring Cate Blanchett, took £50 million at the box office. The Civil War also proved one of the most popular sections of Simon Schama’s BBC series The History of Britain, and Natural Nylon, the film company backed by Jude Law and Ewan McGregor, believes that the revolutionary events contain all the elements of a box-office hit.

Cromwell and Fairfax, which begins shooting at Hampton Court Palace next month with Mike Barker as director, focuses on the King’s final days and the struggle to build a new state in place of the defeated monarchy.

Dougray Scott plays Thomas Fairfax, the general of the parliamentary armies, whose victories at Marston Moor in 1644 and Naseby the year after brought the war to an end.

Although the battles of the 1640s cost a quarter of a million lives, feature film producers have shied away from the subject. No big-screen attempt has been made since 1970 when Richard Harris played Cromwell and Alec Guinness played Charles in the ill-fated Cromwell.

Kevin Loader, the new film’s producer, said: “I am often shocked how little people know about this fascinating period. Tim Roth will play a very contemporary, edgy Cromwell, and with Rupert Everett and Dougray Scott we have the best British talent to bring this period to a new audience.”

The script, by Jennie Mayhew, will focus on Charles’s trial for treason and the psychological struggle between Cromwell and Fairfax, friends on the battlefield who are driven apart by the demands of building a new English state.

Everett’s Charles will be a dignified figure who clings to his belief in the “divine right” of kings to his execution. Cromwell is presented as an “iron-willed military genius”.

Mr Loader said: “The film raises a question very topical in Afghanistan — after the civil war, how can a new government be formed to unite a nation?” Dr Hunt’s series aims to explode the myth of an “English” civil war. He presents a conflict, provoked by religious disputes rather than taxation, that spread through England, Scotland and Ireland, the resonances of which can still be heard.

“I go to Portadown during the Orange Order marches and explain their roots in the events of the 1640s,” Dr Hunt said. “We will be re- creating famous battles, but the basic issues are as relevant today — the role of the monarchy and how to govern the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland as a united entity.”

Sex inevitably plays a major role in popular history and Dr Hunt has a ready-made femme fatale in Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I. He said: “Her Roman Catholic faith made her an object of suspicion in England and this contributed to the rebellion.”

Dr Hunt is being marketed by the BBC as “the naked historian”. He has engineered a spat with Dr Starkey, unfavourably comparing the other’s approach to history to that of a “gossip columnist”.

If popular history contains many elements of soap opera, its public faces are learning to adopt the same marketing techniques in the battle to attract viewers.

Source: The Times

Thank you Chris for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Wednesday, December 26, 2001 // 11:03 p.m.

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Vote for favorite film of 2001 at Ananova

Ananova has a poll at the bottom of their main Entertainment page, asking which one was your favorite film of 2001:

Harry Potter
Ghost World
Amelie
Moulin Rouge
Shrek

You know what to do. ;-)

Vote for favorite film of 2001 at Ananova

Thank you Chris for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Monday, December 24, 2001 // 12:32 p.m.

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Hello's Monthly Vote - Most Attractive man: Ewan is up again!

Ewan won the last round so if he wins this one (against Pierce Brosnan, Russell Crowe and Goran Ivanesevic) he will go to their Grand Finale 2001.

www.hellomagazine.com/vote/mostattractiveman/month

Thank you Joy for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Monday, December 24, 2001 // 11:35 a.m.

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Ewan's Polar Bear documentary to air on PBS in May

PBS' schedule lists:

May 19 - Polar Bears with Ewan McGregor (coming May 17)

Thank you Kris on the Ewan McGregor Media Alert list for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Sunday, December 23, 2001 // 08:40 p.m.

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CRIVVENS, IT'S OOR EWAN

Sunday, December 23, 2001

EWAN McGregor wants to play comic hero Oor Wullie in a movie.

Ewan revealed he was a life-long fan on a BBC show to mark the 65th anniversary of the spikey-haired cartoon legend.

And he would love an all-star Scottish cast to join the fun.

He said: "You could have Dougie Henshaw playing Wee Eck and Peter Mullan playing PC Murdoch.

"I grew up with Oor Wullie. I recently found a bunch of the annuals again at my parent's house in Perthshire and I'm reading them again."


Source: The Daily Record

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Sunday, December 23, 2001 // 12:21 a.m.

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St Mary’s reaches for the stars in opting-out battle

Sun 23 Dec 2001
KAREN RICE EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT

MILLIONAIRE businessman Sir Tom Farmer is backing a Scottish primary school in its legal battle to stay out of council control.

Campaigners at St Mary’s Episcopalian Primary in Dunblane have sent letters to several rich and famous Scots asking them to help raise hundreds of thousands of pounds towards court costs.

Farmer has already ridden to their aid, last night criticising moves by the Scottish Executive to bring the school under public control.

The school, which intends to take its case to the House of Lords, is now waiting on replies from potential backers including Ewan McGregor, Carol Smillie, Sir Sean Connery and Stagecoach boss Brian Souter.

St Mary’s lost the first round of its legal battle a week ago when a judge said the Scottish Executive’s decision to return control of the primary school to Stirling Council did not breach human rights laws.

The school has instructed lawyers to start appeal proceedings against the decision but will need an estimated £1m to bankroll the appeal all the way to the Lords.

Farmer, the chairman of Kwik-Fit, has thrown his weight behind the campaign, saying it seems unfair to force a school back under local authority control when it was successful as an independent school.

He told Scotland on Sunday: "It’s unfortunate that the parents have been put into this position. It seems strange that a very, very successful school, for some reason that nobody seems to be able to give a proper explanation for, is being forced to make changes against the wishes of the parents.

"What is important is to allow for parent’s wishes and children’s interests. If the school has been successful then it seems rather strange they have made changes to bring it back into the system."

He added: "Sometimes it is worth having something out of the system. You can learn from it; you can’t put everyone into boxes.

"I thought we were meant to be trying to find ways and means of taking the strain away from local authorities. Is this just a political reason? It seems strange that this is put above the wishes of the pupils and the parents."

Farmer said he would carry out a more detailed investigation into the St Mary’s case before deciding whether to contribute to their court costs.

Earlier this year, the then education minister, Jack McConnell, banned the policy of schools opting out of local authority control and said St Mary’s would be returned to the council.

The handover was due to go ahead on January 7 next year, but the Scottish Executive has delayed the decision until April 1 to allow time for the appeal.

Since St Mary’s opted out under the last Conservative government, the once failing school has blossomed into one of the most successful in Scotland.

Giles Dove, vice-chairman of the board of St Mary’s, said parents had already built up a substantial fighting fund but more money was needed.

Dove said: "The school is actively seeking a major backer who will be prepared to underwrite the school’s legal fight and make a large donation to the fighting fund.

"We are absolutely delighted that Sir Tom is supportive of the school as it is and its current status. He’s known to be a kind, generous and caring person. That sense of justice shows in the comments he had made in support of the school."

The school has also contacted comedian Billy Connolly, author J K Rowling, actor Ewan McGregor and bus millionaires Ann Gloag and Brian Souter.

Dove continued: "We have written to a number of prominent Scots, people who have one way or another, expressed interest and support for education, and in some cases, may be seen to champion causes that do not have government support.

"Sean Connery is an Edinburgh lad who has been extremely successful and who has an understanding of the importance of education. He may be prepared to support high quality education of the sort St Mary’s offers.

"We are confident people will see the injustice of the Scottish Executive and will give us their support."

The appeal will be heard before three judges in the Court of Session in Edinburgh. If unsuccessful, the school could then appeal to the House of Lords.

A Scottish Executive spokesman said: "Our position has not changed, we still think it’s in the best interests of the school."


Source: Scotland on Sunday

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Sunday, December 23, 2001 // 12:17 a.m.

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Sorry, what's your name again?

by Wendy Holden
21 December 2001

Contrary to popular belief, not just anyone can be a celebrity. The entertainment industry is riddled with people who have everything going for them - looks, talent, a filmography which embraces blockbusting movies and the odd award - yet who can walk, untroubled, through a flock of rampant paparazzi. They do all the right things, get cast in the right roles, date the right people, turn up at the right premieres wearing the right designer frocks. But somehow, lesser individuals - Kerry Katona, who isn't even in Atomic Kitten any more, Liz Hurley - are much more famous.

Consider Ioan Gruffudd, dishy, talented star of the Hornblower TV adaptations and the critically acclaimed BBC1 drama Warriors. Against all the odds, he seems destined to be the eternal subject of Next Big Thing interviews. And Jeremy Northam, tall, dark and handsome, wildly successful. He's been the on-screen love interest of Gwyneth Paltrow in Emma, Sandra Bullock in The Net and Kate Winslet in Enigma. How is he less famous than ex-This Life actor Steve John Shepherd, who went out with Martine McCutcheon for about five minutes?

Or what about John Simm, Stuart Townsend, Max Beesley, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Keely Hawes, Sienna Guillory, Sophie Okonedo, Sean Pertwee, James Purefoy, Matthew Rhys? Stars of cult Brit flicks, girlfriends and boyfriends of extraordinarily famous people, cohorts of Ewan McGregor and Jude Law. On paper, they're the stuff that the A list is made of. In practice, they're just not as famous as they should be.

It's hard to say what, precisely, stymies these people in their pursuit of recognition. Which fame chromosomes they're missing. But maybe their non-fame says more about us than it does about them - about our tendency to celebrate trashier, less-accomplished people at the expense of more deserving cases. But then again, maybe it's down to personal choice. Maybe Gruffudd, Townsend and the rest are deliberately avoiding fame.

After all, right now, being a not-famous famous person - a stealth celebrity - is hot. Star fatigue has set in. As far as the press and public are concerned, celebrities currently have the potential to morph overnight from objects of endless fascination to terminally dull attention-seeking horrors. An increasingly knowing public is getting cynical about some of the lines issued by certain PR departments: are Robbie and Nicole the new Chris Evans and Geri?

According to style-watcher AA Gill, reality TV is also to blame. 'The point of fame used to be that it was a lucky and incredibly rare thing, but Big Brother and Temptation Island destroyed all that. It showed that anyone could be famous, and devalued the currency so now it's worth much less than it was.'

Everybody who's anybody now wants to be a nobody. JK Rowling tries so hard to keep out of the papers, she's in them all the time. Author Jonathan Franzen spent years frantically typing away in an attic, refusing prime-time Oprah Book Club endorsement, before striking literary gold with The Corrections. Toby Young's Manhattan mag disasters, detailed in the best-selling How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, have made failure positively fashionable.

In music, the hottest band of the moment is a pared-down, unassuming, New Wave-influenced brother-and-sister outfit from Detroit called The White Stripes. They became famous through word of mouth rather than global advertising blitz.

As for fashion, the current Gap campaign features such non-household names as Ali Larter (who?) and Kate Capshaw, an actress whom massive fame continuously eludes, despite the fact that she's married to Steven Spielberg.

Think about it. What is mere fame when, like Capshaw, you're a member of what AA Gill describes as 'the most elite club in the world'?

Hoi polloi can be famous with everyone - how much more gratifying to be famous only among people who are famous. Famous in The Ivy. Famous like Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, who can walk through Bluewater and never be recognised, and yet who are the most powerful people in the British film industry. They've got film stars fawning over them.

These days it's status that counts, not the outward trappings of fame. 'The most rewarding part of being a celebrity,' says Mark Frith, editor of Heat, 'isn't the paparazzi and the free handbags. It's the front row at fashion shows and being invited to Mick Jagger's parties.'

In truly august celebrity circles, being considered obscure is the highest of accolades. It's recognition of your skill.

'Actors such as Alec Guinness worked very hard at not being famous,' says AA Gill. 'There used to be a tradition in the theatre that you should not be recognised outside it, because you so utterly became your role when you were in it. To walk out of the stage door and not be recognised was therefore the greatest of compliments. Much, much better than being a mere star.'

So, all those who are not as famous as they should be, remember this: you're making a very modern style statement. Except maybe for you, Ioan Gruffudd. We suspect people are just too worried about pronouncing your name wrong to talk about you a lot.

Source: This is London

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Saturday, December 22, 2001 // 08:09 p.m.

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Name your person of the year

Friday, 21 December, 2001, 13:26 GMT

Click on this link to nominate your personality of the year.

Nominations for Good Morning Scotland's Man and Woman of 2001 Awards have been flooding in since the straw poll was announced two weeks ago.

Listeners have been choosing those people they most admire - from people in private and public life to the worlds of politics, sports, science and the arts.

Not surprisingly the terrorist attacks in the US have had a bearing on those appearing on the list.

A popular choice has been Rudi Giuliani, the Mayor of New York.

And many people have created their own category - a group nomination for the New York Fire Department.

Few politicians have been picked so far, but Scotland's party leaders have offered their own nominations.

First Minister Jack McConnell has backed Mayor Giuliani and Liberal Democrat Leader and Justice Minister Jim Wallace said New York's brave fire fighters have been the year's big achievers.

Scottish National Party Leader John Swinney picked Scottish aid workers in Afghanistan and Tory Leader David McLetchie's vote went to American President George W Bush.

Yacht race

Scottish Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan went for a group nomination and decided the big achievers of 2001 were NHS staff in Scotland - from porters and auxiliary nurses to surgeons and consultants.

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year runner-up, Ellen MacArthur, has emerged as a popular choice for Woman of the Year 2001.

The yachtswoman captured people's hearts and imaginations when she came second in the Vendee Globe Race between November 2000 and February 2001.

A few Scottish personalities have been nominated for the race, including National Farmers' Union President Jim Walker, comedian Billy Connolly and actor Ewan McGregor.

But listeners have been inspired by the non-famous as well and chosen "ordinary" members of the public such as care workers, those who look after the sick and people who help children and work in deprived communities.

There is still time to register your vote.

The winners will be announced during Good Morning Scotland's Hogmanay programme on Monday, 31 December.

So, if you have not yet nominated, have a think about who has inspired, entertained or impressed you this year.


Source: BBC News

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Saturday, December 22, 2001 // 08:06 p.m.

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Scots in Film: Portraits By Donald MacLellan

20 December 2001

At: Scottish National Portrait Gallery
01 Jun 2001 - 30 Sep 2002

Specific dates have yet to be announced but will run from June-Sept. Born in Locahaber, Donald MacLellan is a leading portrait photographer whose work is widely published in current news media and magazines. This fascinating exhibition of thirty works will celebrate the growing prominence of Scottish actors in contemporary cinema and television. It will focus on some of Scotland's most famous faces, including Robert Carlyle, Robbie Coltrane, Brian Cox and Billy Connolly. The younger generation of Scottish talent will be represented by actors like Ewan McGregor, Daniella Nardini and Dougray Scott.

Source: This is London

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Saturday, December 22, 2001 // 08:04 p.m.

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Now it's Ewan Macho-Gregor

20 December 2001

Ewan McGregor will be showing off his macho side as an American soldier trapped behind enemy lines in his next film, Black Hawk Down.

The role is a distinct change for McGregor, who was last seen singing ballads with Nicole Kidman as a starving poet in Moulin Rouge.

The Ridley Scott film tells the true story of the disastrous American special forces operation in Somalia in 1993, when US soldiers were sent into Mogadishu with the UN.

In an effort to put a stop to the country's civil war, the mission attempted to abduct several top lieutenants of a Somalian warlord, costing the lives of 18 Americans. The 15-hour battle was said to have contributed to America's decision to pull out of the country.

The film also stars Josh Hartnett and Tom Sizemore, who both appeared in last year's Pearl Harbor. It premieres in the West End on 17 January.

Source: This is London

Thank you Dee for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Saturday, December 22, 2001 // 07:58 p.m.

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Ewan on E! on January 16th

Ewan will be revealed on E! Entertainment Television's Revealed with Jules Asner, which is described as an "intimate interview and biography show" on January 16th.

Keep an eye on their online schedule for the exact date and time (you never know, it never hurts to be cautious and check a few days beforehand).

Thank you cathy111 for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Friday, December 21, 2001 // 06:41 p.m.

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Ewan's So Proud

21/12/2001

With over eleven nominations for British actors and films in this year's Golden Globes, Empire Online decided to track down one of the honoured nominees for their reaction.

He may be on holiday, but that didn't deter us from calling up Ewan McGregor to find out what he thought about being nominated for Best Actor in the Musical or Comedy category.

'It’s so exciting after putting so much work into the film to be recognised for it,' the chuffed actor told us, 'and that goes for all the other nominations we got too. It makes me very proud.'


Source: Empire Online


Thank you Perditum for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Friday, December 21, 2001 // 12:04 p.m.

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EWAN McGREGOR ON BLACK HAWK DOWN

The Daily Mail, Dec 20, 2001

WHEN Ewan McGregor turned up for filming on his latest movie he had to dodge bullets and missiles - for real.

When Ewan agreed to play a US Ranger in Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down, he found that his world of make-believe had been replaced by the harsh realities of war.

Ewan said: "As an acting challenge, Black Hawk Down was really quite easy. In fact, it was more like a re-acting challenge. When a missile was being shot at you, it really was being shot at you.

"When gunfire was raking the street it really was doing that, when bombs were going off there really were explosions. All we had to do was react quite naturally to what was going on. We were terrified."The film is a painstaking re-enactment of one of the most terrible battles in the history of modern warfare and Ewan is in the thick of the action throughout.

Set in Somalia in 1993, it charts how the US army decided to storm into the heart of a militia-held area of the capital, Mogadishu, to arrest rebel leaders.

With a budget of more than pounds 80 million, Gladiator director Scott depicts the real horror of what happened in Mogadishu.

And for Ewan and his co-stars - including Trainspotting's Ewen Bremner, Pearl Harbor's Josh Hartnett and The Patriot's Jason Isaacs - the experience of making the movie on location in the dry heat of southern Morocco was one they will never forget.

He said: "If this had been for real, none of us would have lasted five minutes."

However, Ewan admits that his experience making the film in Africa earlier this summer was nothing compared to what the soldiers were up against for real in 1993.

The Americans, part of a UN force in Somalia struggling to impose peace on a raging civil war, decided to make their move against the militia leaders in Mogadishu - nicknamed Mog by the US armed forces.

The plan was to be in and out of the hostile area in just 39 minutes. But the Americans hadn't bargained on the militia being able to shoot down two of their helicopters, the Black Hawks. From then on the incident became a rescue mission as the Rangers, fighting alongside the specialist Delta Force, stood by their code, now a slogan for the film: "Leave no man behind."

The result was a 15-hour firefight on the hostile, bombed out streets of Mogadishu, which left 18 Americans dead, 73 injured and which claimed the lives of perhaps as many as 1000 Somalians.

The incident led to the withdrawal of the American forces from Somalia and the virtual end to their "world policeman" role until this year's intervention by Osama Bin Laden's terrorist organisation.

Although Ewan's character is a fictional composite of several soldiers involved, he knew just how important this film would be to the men who had been in Somalia - and to the bereaved families.

This truth was hammered home to him when he spent eight days at the Rangers' training base at Fort Benning in Georgia.

Ewan said: "At first, there was a part of me which remembered as a kid playing soldiers and I suppose that's what I thought it would be like.

"But as soon as I had met people who had been there and who had lost their friends there, I got the sense of pride in not just the soldiers who died there but in all those who fought there and in the regiment itself."

After the type of work he had to do on the second Star Wars instalment, the down-to-earth 30-year-old Scot admits he found the gritty truthfulness of Ridley Scott's movie to be quite refreshing.

He said: "It is more satisfying as an actor when things are around you. Star Wars is mainly done on blue screens with the special effects added later. Here we had actors, a set, special effects we could see. It all seemed more real somehow."

Ewan, whose wife Ève gave birth to their second daughter in November, agreed to work on the film even though his character, Grimes, a regimental office clerk, starts off as a coward and is no more than a supporting role to Josh Hartnett's Ranger sergeant.

Ewan admitted: "If you are only going to choose great stonking lead roles you are cutting off 80 per cent of the workplace."

There is already talk of Black Hawk Down earning Ewan an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor - perhaps to go alongside another nomination for his lead role in Moulin Rouge.

But McGregor admits that he didn't read the script for the film when it was sent to him in 1998. It was only a chance meeting with Scott on a TV show that eventually led to the actor reading Mark Bowden's book about the battle and to his saying yes.

"I was going off to Honduras to go trekking with the BBC," the actor recalled, referring to the Trip Of A Lifetime programme screened in September.

"The day before I left, a brown envelope arrived with Mark's book inside. There was no letter or explanation.

"I took it on the plane with me and just couldn't stop turning the pages. I had to keep reminding myself that these were real characters and it really happened.

"I've always been rather fascinated by, not so much the war itself, but men in war. How does it work? How can you hold yourself together to perform strategic actions when you are under fire?

"I was fortunate enough to have worked once with a props master who had done two tours of duty in Vietnam and he was very open about talking about that with me.

"A combination of all these things led me, while I was in the rainforest, to get on the satellite phone to tell Ridley I'd do it."

The shoot meant a couple of months working in the heat of poverty-stricken southern Morocco, which stood in for the still war-torn Somalia.

But Ewan is delighted with the way the film has turned out. He said: "I think it is a very important story that we've told."

Since September 11, Hollywood has moved away from releasing war films or features with terrorist themes.

But in the case of Black Hawk Down, studio bosses felt Ridley Scott's movie reflected the national mood and moved its release date in America forward.

But the question remains as to whether it is right to ever make an "entertainment" out of such recent, tragic events - be it Somalia in 1993 or September 11, 2001.

Ewan said: "I don't think there should be any kind of limit on what you can make a film about. Would I want to be in a film about September 11? Sure, why not, if it was a cracking script I'd be there.

"It shouldn't be a moral question. We should be able to make films about anything that happens and September 11 happened. It is the same as with this film. It was our task to represent the people who fought and died in Somalia to a level that would make them proud."

Black Hawk Down opens in cinemas across the UK and North America on January 18.

Source: Cinemayhem BHD Forum (typed in by qwepoi)

Thank you Dee for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Thursday, December 20, 2001 // 08:01 p.m.

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Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Thursday, December 20, 2001 // 09:51 a.m.

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Oor Wullie, Your Wullie, A’body’s Wullie

Radio Scotland
1st January, 1.00pm - 1.30pm and 9:30pm - 10pm (UK Time)

It just wouldnae be Hogmanay without a dose of Oor Wullie. A special 65th anniversary celebration with contributions from famous fans, including Ewan McGregor, Midge Ure, Malky McCormick, Craig Brown, Marti Pellow and Lorraine Kelly.

You can listen to the broadcast here on New Year's Day at 8am - 9:30am and 4:30pm - 5pm (U.S. Eastern time).

Thank you Josie for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Wednesday, December 19, 2001 // 08:22 p.m.

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With the award season upon us... more nominations and honors are being announced almost every day. Here's a quick run down of all the latest.

• Moulin Rouge was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress for Nicole Kidman and Best Director for Baz Luhrmann by the Broadcast Film Critics Association for their annual film awards. Winners will be announced on January 11 and the ceremony broadcast live on E! January 14, 7 pm.
  
• Moulin Rouge also garnered nods for Best Picture (Comedy or Musical), Actor (Comedy or Musical) for Ewan, Actress (Comedy or Musical) for Nicole (who also got a nod for her work in The Others), Supporting Actor (Comedy or Musical) for Jim Broadbent (who also got a nod for his work in Iris), Director for Baz, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Film Editing, Production Design, Original Score, Original Song (Come What May), Sound, and Visual Effects from the International Press Academy for the sixth annual Golden Satellite Awards. Moulin Rouge lead the field with a total of 14 nominations. The awards ceremony will be held Jan. 19 at the St. Regis Hotel in Century City.
  
• Moulin Rouge was named Best Production Design by the San Diego Critics Association and by the Los Angeles Critics Association.
  
• Moulin Rouge and Black Hawk Down have made it to many top 10 films of the year lists including Entertainment Weekly, Time Magazine and Rolling Stone.

Posted by ewanspotting.com on Wednesday, December 19, 2001 // 12:51 p.m.

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Ewan on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn Tuesday

Ewan will be a guest on this Tuesday's The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, which airs on Wednesday at 12:35am on CBS.

The show's official site does not list Ewan as being a guest, but since Ewan is supposed to be in L.A. for the Black Hawk Down premiere, it's quite possible he will be there and TV Guide Online does list Ewan as being a guest on Tuesday night's show.

Thank youk klpreheim and nutbar for the heads up!

Update: Ewan was not on the show. We checked TV Guide Online again last night and he was still listed as being on.

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Monday, December 17, 2001 // 04:59 p.m.

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5 noms apiece for 'Black Hawk,' 'Gosford', 3 noms for 'Moulin Rouge' in 1st AFI awards

Dec. 17, 2001

NEW YORK -- "Gosford Park," a period mystery piece directed by Robert Altman, and "Black Hawk," director Ridley Scott's bloody and gritty war film based on the real life story of American soldiers in Somalia set in 1993 each drew five nominations in the first American Film Institute Awards, announced in Los Angeles this morning. Winners in the 19 film and TV categories will be presented Jan. 5 from the Beverly Hills Hotel. Ten films were nominated for AFI movie of the year. Besides Columbia Pictures' "Black Hawk Down," and USA Films "Gosford Park," other film nominees are Universal/DreamWorks "A Beautiful Mind"; Miramax's "In the Bedroom"; New Line's "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"; USA Films' "The Man Who Wasn't There"; Newmarket's "Memento"; Lions Gate's "Monster's Ball"; Twentieth Century Fox's "Moulin Rouge"; Universal Focus' "Mulholland Drive"; and DreamWorks' "Shrek." (Jim McConville)

The nominations are as follows, we've only listed those featuring Moulin Rouge or Black Hawk Down. Note: no nominations for Ewan, Nicole or Jim Broadbent. To see all nominations go here.

Movie of the Year
A Beautiful Mind
Black Hawk Down
In the Bedroom
The Lord of the Rings
The Man Who Wasn't There
Memento
Monster's Ball
Moulin Rouge
Mulholland Drive
Shrek

Director
Todd Field, IN THE BEDROOM
David Lynch, MULHOLLAND DRIVE
Ridley Scott, BLACK HAWK DOWN

Cinematographer
Ericson Core, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS
Roger Deakins, THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE
Slawomir Idziak, BLACK HAWK DOWN
Janusz Kaminski, A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Editor
Jill Bilcock, MOULIN ROUGE
Dody Dorn, MEMENTO
Pietro Scalia, BLACK HAWK DOWN
Tim Squyres, GOSFORD PARK

Production Designer
Stephen Altman, GOSFORD PARK
Rick Carter, A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Grant Major, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
Arthur Max, BLACK HAWK DOWN

Composer
Craig Armstrong, MOULIN ROUGE
Angelo Badalementi, MULHOLLAND DRIVE
Patrick Doyle, GOSFORD PARK
Howard Shore, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Thank you Perditum for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Monday, December 17, 2001 // 11:38 a.m.

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Moulin Rouge on DVD tomorrow

"This story is about truth, beauty, freedom; but above all things, this story is about love." The National Board of Review chose Moulin Rouge (DVD) as its "Best Picture" of 2001. And, even though the NBR is under some scrutiny of late, it's hard not to agree with their choice. During its release this summer we said: "This isn't a musical; it's an arrangement. And a grand and glorious one at that culminating in a near impossible soufflé of song, dance, and passion. Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor are perfect (and amazing singers and entertainers to boot). If you know someone who doesn't love it, stomp on their toes." The DVD will keep you on your toes with features such as "The Making of Moulin Rouge", six extended scenes, four re-cut dance sequences much, much, more.

Source: The Internet Movie Database

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Monday, December 17, 2001 // 10:42 a.m.

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My mother, the film-maker

Brian Pendreigh
Monday, 17th December 2001

	Ewan McGregor's mother Carol, pictured, who has been granted£ 60,000 to produce a Tartan Shorts film.

EWAN McGregor’s mother is following in her son’s footsteps by entering the world of film production.

Carol McGregor, a 57-year-old former teacher, is short-listed for a £60,000 grant to make one of Scotland’s world-renowned Tartan Shorts.

For the past few years, she has worked as her son’s personal assistant and provided audio descriptions of films for the blind.

She met Marc de Launay at the cast and crew screening of A Small Piece of Paradise, his short drama about a son’s troubled relationship with his father and his passion for football.

Mr De Launay asked her to record an audio description for the film, which screened at the Edinburgh Film Festival, but sent her several other scripts, and she agreed to act as producer on The Promise, a nine-minute epic that begins in the First World War and spans several generations and countries.

The latest batch of Scottish Screen shorts could prove a family affair. Ms McGregor’s brother, Denis Lawson, who appeared in the original Star Wars films and inspired Ewan to become an actor, has written and hopes to direct Solid Geometry, on the short list for Scottish Screen’s other major short film scheme, New Found Land.

Carol McGregor has set up a new company, called McDongall Films, with former Scottish Screen executive Janice Cutting, and The Promise should be its first production.

"We liked the story and Janice and I decided to go ahead and try to get it made into a short film. We applied to Scottish Screen and were delighted to be short-listed," said Ms McGregor. Mr De Launay was inspired by the discovery of old war diaries and undelivered letters in a relative’s loft, to write the story of a Scottish soldier and an Austrian, who are blown up and land in the same crater in No Man’s Land during the First World War.

The Scot dies and the Austrian promises to deliver a letter to his sweetheart, although he is shell-shocked. It remains undelivered until his grandson attempts to track down the recipient over 60 years later.

Mr de Launay described Carol McGregor as a "very astute businesswoman", adding: "She has brought a lot of experience in a business sense. Creatively, she’s very, very good; very helpful as script editor and comes up with a lot of very good ideas."

Ms McGregor is determined not to use her famous family to advance the project: "I’m not doing it on the back of anybody else."

Denis Lawson said: "She hasn’t asked for my advice and I haven’t given her any. She’s very bright and she’s ploughing her own furrow."

Tartan Shorts has been hugely successful in helping the careers of new film-makers, including Peter Mullan and Lynne Ramsay. Peter Capaldi won an Oscar for his short, Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life.

Already Ms McGregor has her sights set on bigger things and is developing several feature film projects, although she refuses to go into details.

Ewan also has his own production company, Natural Nylon, a partnership with Jude Law and other young British actors, and he was one of the producers on Nora, in which he played James Joyce.

Source: The Scotsman

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Monday, December 17, 2001 // 10:03 a.m.

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Press Release

Thursday December 13, 9:58 pm Eastern Time
SOURCE: Columbia Pictures

ADVISORY/The Premiere of Revolution Studios/Columbia Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer and Ridley Scott's "Black Hawk Down," Tuesday, Dec. 18, 7:00 p.m.

WHAT: Premiere of Revolution Studios/Columbia Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer and Ridley Scott's "Black Hawk Down"

WHEN: Tuesday, Dec. 18, 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
8949 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills

WHO: Attending from the film:

Josh Hartnett, Jeremy Piven, Ewan McGregor, Brendan Sexton III, Tom Sizemore, Johnny Strong, Eric Bana, Brian Van Holt, William Fichtner, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Hugh Dancy, Ian Virgo, Ron Eldard, Thomas Hardy, Thomas Guiry, Orlando Bloom, Charlie Hofheimer, Kent Linville, Jason Issacs, Enrique Murciano and Michael Roof.

Filmmakers in attendance will be director Ridley Scott, screenwriter Ken Nolan, Mark Bowden, author of the book upon which the movie is based, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, executive producers Simon West, Mike Stenson, Chad Oman and Branko Lustig, production designer Arthur Max and composer Hans Zimmer.

Other celebrities expected to attend are:

Jerry O'Connell, Jon Voight, Wayne Gretzky, Will Smith, Anthony La Paglia and Jada Pinkett Smith.

From acclaimed director Ridley Scott and renowned producer Jerry Bruckheimer, based on actual events, "Black Hawk Down" is the heroic account of a group of elite U.S. soldiers sent into Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993 as part of a U.N. peacekeeping operation. Their mission: to capture several top lieutenants of the Somali warlord, Mohamed Farrah Aidid, as part of a strategy to quell the civil war and famine that is ravaging the country.

Young Rangers and veteran Delta Force soldiers fight side by side against overwhelming odds. For 18 harrowing hours, they remain trapped and wounded in the most hostile district of Mogadishu until a rescue convoy can be mounted to retrieve them. Outnumbered and surrounded, tensions flare, friends are lost, alliances are formed and soldiers learn the true nature of war and heroism.

"Black Hawk Down" is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for intense realistic graphic war violence and language.

Contact:
Columbia Pictures
Tammy Sandler, 310/244-8099 (Domestic Media)
Jasmin Chavez, 310/244-2190 (International Media)

Source: Seeing Stars

Thank you Dee for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Monday, December 17, 2001 // 09:46 a.m.

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Official Black Hawk Down site updated

The official Black Hawk Down site has been updated with a screen saver (for PC only, in the multi-media section).

Thank you Dee for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Monday, December 17, 2001 // 09:27 a.m.

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Ewan on Sundance Channel today

The European Film Awards will be rebroadcast today, December 14th at 2pm (Eastern/Pacific) on the Sundance Channel. Moulin Rouge won the prize for best non-european film and Ewan won an award for European achievement in world cinema for his part in Moulin Rouge.

Thank you Van for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Friday, December 14, 2001 // 09:27 a.m.

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Ewan, a desert island, 8 songs & a luxury item!

Ewan will be the guest on Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday December 30th at 11.15am UK time.

Desert Island Discs is a British radio classic! Each guest has to choose eight songs that they would take to a desert island with them, plus one luxury item.

The program runs from 11.15 to 12.04 UK time. It should be broadcast online, as are all BBC radio programmes.

Thank you Rahalia for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Thursday, December 13, 2001 // 09:08 a.m.

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Ewan Misses Rings Premiere To Go Biking With Mum

Dec 11, 2001

(WENN via COMTEX) -- Scottish actor EWAN McGREGOR missed the world premiere of LORD OF THE RINGS in London on Monday (10DEC01) - to attend a low-key video launch with his mum.

The STAR WARS hunk and his proud mother opted, instead, to go to a bash given by TV presenter SUZI PERRY at the British capital's SPORTS CAFE, to celebrate the release of her superbike video, ACCESS ALL AREAS.

Ewan explained, "I love superbikes and would rather be here than at Lord of the Rings."

The star tried out a big bike for size, before taking full advantage of the free vodka on offer. (KW/WNTST/RGS)


Source: freerealtime.com

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Wednesday, December 12, 2001 // 08:10 a.m.

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Official Black Hawk Down site updated with pics of Ewan

The official Black Hawk Down site has been updated and there are some LOVELY pictures of Ewan, most particularly the background pic in "the Boys" section.

www.sony.com/blackhawkdown

Thank you Perditum for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Wednesday, December 12, 2001 // 07:27 a.m.

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OSCAR AD FOR EWAN

Wednesday, December 12, 2001

MOVIE star Ewan McGregor is being touted for an Oscar nomination before his latest film has even been released.

Full-page, colour ads are being run in the Hollywood trade press urging Academy members to put McGregor's name on the ballot list for best supporting actor for his role in military movie Black Hawk Down.

The film is not being released until December 28 in the US. Movie bosses have slated that release date - just three days before the end of the year - so that the film can be considered as an Oscar contender.

UK audiences won't get to see Ewan, from Crieff, Perthshire, in action in the film until April.

Source: Daily Record

Thank you Chris for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Wednesday, December 12, 2001 // 07:15 a.m.

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New Black Hawk Down trailer online

Yahoo Movies has a new trailer for Ewan's Black Hawk Down, which features Ewan more prominently:

movies.yahoo.com/movies/feature/blackhawkdown.html

Thank you Perditum for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Monday, December 10, 2001 // 07:10 p.m.

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Thanks to Amy Firth, Consultant for Firefly Communications, for sending me the following press release:

CELEBRITIES AUTOGRAPH MOBILE PHONES FOR CHARITY AUCTION

Ewan McGregor and Denise Van Outen are among celebrities who have agreed to have their signatures engraved on the new Motorola V.60 mobile phone, to help raise money for Barnardo's, the UK's leading children's charity. To mark the launch of the new Motorola V.60, Motorola has invited celebrities to have their signature engraved on the aluminium-encased mobile phones. The uniquely autographed phones will be auctioned online between the 10th-19th December on QXL.com, giving people the opportunity to bid for the ultimate Christmas present.

Proceeds from the sale of each phone will go to Barnardo's. Motorola aims to raise upwards of £10,000, through the auction, for this worthy cause.

Bids begin at £50 for each handset when the auction opens on the 10th December at www.qxl.com/motorolav60.

Celebrities who have 'signed' up for the auction include:

• Ewan McGregor
• Denise Van Outen
• Joseph Fiennes
• Sadie Frost Zoe Ball

About Barnardo's: Barnardo's works with many of Britain's most vulnerable children, whose lives have been blighted by abuse, poverty, homelessness and disability. By offering direct support through over 300 projects around the UK, Barnardo's is helping children and their families to overcome disadvantage and have the chance to transform their lives and fulfil their potential. This is why we use the strapline 'Giving children back their future'. To find out more about how you can help call 08457 697967 (local rate), or visit our website at www.barnardos.org.uk.

Posted by ewanspotting.com on Monday, December 10, 2001 // 10:20 a.m.

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Ewan on BBC Radio tonight (Monday Dec. 10th)

Ewan will be interviewed on Steve Lamacq's show "Cult Cuts" at 11pm UK time today (Monday 10th December); talking about his role in Trainspotting.

Also being interviewed are Richard E. Grant, Tim Burton and Kevin Smith.

It is possible to listen to the interview online at BBC Radio1 (then click on "Listen Live" at the top of the page). It will air at 6pm (U.S. Eastern)

Thank you Rahalia, Joy and Chris for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Monday, December 10, 2001 // 10:45 a.m.

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Ewan McGregor says new film satisfied him more than Star Wars

Story filed: 09:08 Friday 7th December 2001

Ewan McGregor says he found acting in Black Hawk Down more satisfying than Star Wars.

He was speaking at a special screening of the new film in London.

The action drama is about an ill-fated battle in Somalia in 1993, in which 18 American soldiers were killed.

McGregor said there was a huge contrast between the way special effects were done on Black Hawk Down compared to Star Wars.

"It's infinitely more satisfying when things are there," he said.

"I made this film after Episode 2 and it was nice to have other actors acting and a set. it just looked real somehow.

"It was quite different to do acting-wise because all the special effects were actually on set, compared to putting them on later with computers.

"When you're supposed to be running down the street with bullets coming towards you, that was pretty much what was happening."

Black Hawk Down co-stars Josh Hartnett and Jason Isaacs, and is out in the UK in January.

Source: Ananova

Thank you Chris for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Friday, December 7, 2001 // 08:29 a.m.

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Attenshun Moviegoers!

07/12/2001

It's been almost three months since the September 11 attacks on America, which isn't long enough to make a major feature film. So it's hard to explain how so many films flying the American flag of military fervour are heading for our cinemas in the next six months. Just one of those things, we guess.

Last night the Empire Online team were at the first London screening of Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down which was attended by Scott himself and a smattering of the film's stars including Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett and Jason Isaacs. The version we saw was still a work in progress - with some CGI still to be added, as well as the official soundtrack - but it received a hearty reaction from the London audience. Most were presumably appreciative of the fact that while deeply patriotic, the film still managed - under Scott's direction - to shy away from whole-hearted cheesiness.

Source: Empire Online

Thank you Chris for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Friday, December 7, 2001 // 08:24 a.m.

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Reuters has posted a video interview with Ewan. The link is on the upper-right.

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Wednesday, December 5, 2001 // 10:02 p.m.

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From the Hollywood Reporter (thanks to Sessan for this):

National Board of Review picks 'Rouge' as 2001's best

Dec. 05, 2001

"Moulin Rouge," director Baz Luhrmann's hellzapoppin' musical set in turn-of-the-century Paris, has been chosen best film of the year by the National Board of Review. The film also earned Jim Broadbent, who plays a nightclub master of cermonies, kudos as the year's best supporting actor for his work in both "Moulin Rouge" and "Iris." "Monster's Ball," a prison-set drama, dominated the acting awards, earning Billy Bob Thornton the best actor nod and Halle Berry the best actress kudo. Best supporting actress went to Cate Blanchett for her work in three films, "The Man Who Cried," "The Shipping News" and "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." Actor-turned-director Todd Field was named best director for the family drama, "In the Bedroom."

"Black Hawk Down" was also picked as one of the top ten films of the year.

Posted by ewanspotting.com on Wednesday, December 5, 2001 // 02:21 p.m.

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From ABC7.com:

Summer Movie Back on the Big Screen

HOLLYWOOD — A strong, and very loyal, fan base...not to mention the upcoming awards season...has brought a summer movie back to the big screen.

"Moulin Rouge" is a unique, dynamic, colorful, song and dance filled virtual assault on your senses. Moviegoers, and movie reviewers, had trouble categorizing this film and Director Baz Luhrman thinks that may have originally kept people away from theaters.

But Luhrman, and the film's star Ewan McGregor, have now seen the affect "Moulin Rouge" has been having on audiences around the world.. and basically, he now thinks they "get it."

Baz Luhrman: The audience has been able to explain it, the audience has passed it on.

Ewan McGregor: People were just so grateful, one woman had seen it 40 times...40 times....

Luhrman: This has happened around the world...it's been six months since it opened, its' starting to go from something we created, in our hands to, it's gone ahead of us and has a life of its own."

Luhrman: Audiences come up to you.. it's their film, their experience, it's made them feel truth, beauty, freedom, love... given them some way into feeling. And goodness knows, in this changed world, if a film can help, we've done something a little bit useful.

"Moulin Rouge" makes its return engagement around the Southland on Friday.

This originally appeared on the local news program in Los Angeles. Thanks to Melinda for passing this along and being the gal Ewan is talking about!

Posted by ewanspotting.com on Monday, December 3, 2001 // 11:21 a.m.

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Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Amelie" wins European Film Award

AP WorldStream - Saturday December 1st, 2001

BERLIN (AP) - French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's romantic fantasy "Amelie" won top honors at this year's European Film Award ceremony Saturday, and Jeunet also carried off the prize for best director.

Starring Mathieu Kassovitz and newcomer Audrey Tautou, "Amelie" - a modern fairy tale about being kind to strangers and loving each other - is expected to be the year's top-grossing film in its native country. The movie also was a success in neighboring Germany and, in Britain, it reaped the biggest opening ever for a French-language film.

On Saturday, it also picked up the prize for best camera work, which went to Bruno Delbonnel.

The European Film Academy's best actor award went to Britain's Ben Kingsley for his role as a thug in director Jonathan Glazer's "Sexy Beast." France's Isabelle Huppert won the best actress prize for her part as a music instructor seduced by a student in "The Piano Teacher," from Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke.

Ewan McGregor won an award for European achievement in world cinema for his part alongside Nicole Kidman in Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge," which won the title of best non-European film.

The academy's prizes are awarded annually, and this year's ceremony in Berlin was the 14th. The winner of the top prize last year was Lars von Trier's "Dancer in the Dark."

Source: Variety

Thank you Sessan for the heads up, Perditum for the article and MarGwan for the picture!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Saturday, December 1, 2001 // 05:22 p.m.

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Monty Python and Ewan McGregor to be honoured at European Film Awards

Story filed: 15:14 Saturday 1st December 2001

Monty Python and Ewan McGregor are to receive special awards at the European Film Awards in Berlin.

The Monty Python gang will receive a prize for lifetime achievement.

McGregor will be honoured for his role Moulin Rouge, which the academy calls a European contribution to world cinema.

Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and John Cleese are expected to accept the award in the German capital.

In Moulin Rouge, McGregor plays a love-struck poet and songwriter who falls for Satine, played by Nicole Kidman, a courtesan who dreams of becoming a great actress.

Source: Ananova

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Saturday, December 1, 2001 // 10:40 a.m.

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TheForce.Net has posted a link to Ewan's KROQ interview. You may access it directly by clicking here (aiff file, 13MB).

Thank you Darth Mystique for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Friday, November 30, 2001 // 07:36 p.m.

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NEW LOOK FOR EWAN NEWS!

After 9 months of the previous version, a sleeker look is now up. There is more room for the reason you come here - news about Ewan... I hope you like it. Let me know if you have any problems. Thanks to Claude for feedback along the way as I designed this.

Posted by ewanspotting.com on Thursday, November 29, 2001 // 05:45 p.m.

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EWAN'S A HEAD TURNER

Star drinks with Nicole

Thursday, November 29, 2001

SCOTS superstar Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman turned heads last night when they shared an intimate drink at a swanky Hollywood hotel.

The two Moulin Rouge stars were taking a break from an American movie magazine awards show at the St Regis Hotel.

Ewan, 30, caused a stir when he walked into the main bar in a dirty T-shirt, trainers and jeans, complete with eyeliner and spiked hair.

Glamorous Nicole, 34, wore a stunning cream-coloured evening dress.

One onlooker said: "They certainly made an odd-looking couple. Not too many people recognised Ewan with his make-up and tatty clothes.

"But they were having a great laugh and didn't seem to care about all the stares - they obviously enjoyed each other's company.

"They stayed in the bar for about 20 minutes before going back to the ballroom."

The two will be teaming up a lot more next year when Moulin Rouge goes on a pre-Oscars publicity push.

Ewan wore the street punk's outfit to promote his new film, Young Adam.

Later, Nicole presented Star Wars Episode 2 star Hayden Christensen with an award before returning to the £5 million California home she won from ex-husband Tom Cruise.

Nicole, who is looking after the couple's kids Isabella, eight, and Conor, six, has been snapped with a mystery man in Paris.

Source: Daily Record

Thank you Chris for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Thursday, November 29, 2001 // 01:07 a.m.

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Reminder: Ewan is on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno tonight, on NBC. Check your local listings.

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Wednesday, November 28, 2001 // 08:29 p.m.

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About last night (at the Egyptian Theatre)...

A fan's account of meeting Ewan


First of all, thanks so much to Alyse and Kim for getting me and my sister the tickets to tonight's show. If not, I would have never been able to meet (kiss and hug) Ewan, Nicole and Baz. It was unforgettable. I'm on cloud nine right now and I know I've already forgotten some of the details. Alyse wrote notes (and even got a smile from Ewan during the Q&A session after the movie) so she'll post more details.

When I got to the theatre, there were only two people in line ahead of me (I got there 4 1/2 hours before it started because...well...I wanted to be in front and see Ewan). By the time we were able to go into the theatre, the line was already around the building. Standing in line, I was finally able to put faces with screen names from this site (and I was so happy to finally meet all of you!!) Once they let us in, my sister ran all the way to the front of the theatre and started to save seats for the rest of "the group" who followed. I sat "front and center" with the Q&A chairs only 7 steps in front of me (and YES, we did count the steps!).

There was an intro to the film and the emcee informed us that Baz's wife (who was also part of the production staff) was not able to attend, BUT he did say that both EWAN and NICOLE were definitely going to be there for the Q&A after the movie was over. I have to admit that after seeing this movie 39 times (tonight being my 40th)...I had never sat in the front row...the view was OVERWHELMING!! During the movie, I kept looking over to everyone from the club (who were also sitting in the font row) and it was nice to see all of them having such huge "cheezy smiles" on their faces whenever there was a good "Ewan" part on the screen. During the small lulls in the movie...you know...when Ewan was not on screen...I kept looking over to either my sister or my other "new-found-friends-from-Utah" mouthing..."WE'RE GONNA SEE EWAN!!"

Well, the time came and I, along with all the other fans from Ewanspotting, could not keep the yells, cheers, and screams in anymore. The Moderator introduced Baz first, then Nicole, and last but DEFINITELY not least...EWAN!! There were a lot of questions asked to Ewan, Nicole, and Baz. One of the gals from this site who flew all the way down here from Seattle asked Ewan if she could have a kiss...and he walked over and kissed her on the cheek (I'm sure she will have something to add to this). After that, some of the questions were "long-winded-questions" and others were...well...let's just say that even during "those" questions...Ewan and Nicole appeared to be making their own humorous comments. (Once, when a question was directed to Ewan, he admitted to "misbehaving" because he wasn't listening to the question ...and then...HE LAUGHED...that INCREDIBLE SEXY LAUGH!!)

The time went quickly and before we knew it...the moderator was thanking everyone for attending. My sister had had her hand up to ask a question during the session but was never called. (She was planning on asking if they would sing a couple lines from "Come What May".) While Ewan and Nicole were starting to be ushered out, she yelled out to Ewan and got his attention. He came walking back towards my sister and me when she asked him if he would give me a hug and told him that I had now seen MR 40 times. He gave one of his signature smiles and congratulated me while giving me a huge hug ...and then he kissed me on the cheek...I couldn't believe it...I was just in awe...and then realizing that I had EWAN in my space, I reached out and hugged him again...tightly...!! It was "surreal"!!

Meanwhile, Nicole was looking over at my sister and she proceeded to tell her of my GRAND accomplishment. She was telling my sister that she was so happy to hear this and then proceeded to pass through the people hovering around to also give me a hug and congratulate me. I couldn't believe this was happening...it all seemed like I was just watching this happen in front of me to someone else. My sister was trying to get my attention as I saw Baz also making his way towards me, noticing the small commotion. My sister didn't miss a beat...she also started to tell Baz about the "40 times". He seemed surprised as he came up to me, shook my hand, and congratulated me for "holding the world record for MR viewings"!!

The next thing I remember, my sister was shaking my arm telling me everything that had just happened to me in the last moments. I could not believe it!! Even now, a couple hours later...I am still in shock!!

Honestly, there are probably more specifics, but right now...I am still in a daze and can't remember everything! Maybe in the next few days I'll get back to my normal self. Thanks again to Alyse and Kim (from San Diego) who made this evening possible and have made my dreams come true!

Melinda

Thank you Melinda for the report!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Tuesday, November 27, 2001 // 01:21 p.m.

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Moulin Rouge stars attend special Hollywood screening

Story filed: 08:46 Tuesday 27th November 2001

The stars of Moulin Rouge have attended a special screening of the movie in Hollywood.

Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor were joined by director Baz Luhrmann at the event at the Egyptian Theatre.

The three participated in a question and answer session following the screening.

Source: Ananova

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Tuesday, November 27, 2001 // 07:38 a.m.

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Nora on Film Four in the UK

Film Four will broadcast the UK television premiere of Nora on December 12th, 2001. Don't miss it!

Thank you kudrauk for the heads up!

Posted by Best of Ewan McGregor on Monday, November 26, 2001 // 04:19 p.m.

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Ewan on KTLA this morning

Transcript of Ewan appearing on the KTLA morning news, a local station that airs in Los Angeles

Anchorwoman:We've got the answer, you see...if you're going to have an orgy business, you have to let people just donate...I mean, I think Ewan McGregor just gave us the perfect solution to this conflict.

Sam Rubin : Ewan McGregor is here, and we're going to talk about all these other things, but he's actually reset the agenda, which we're grateful for... OK, so you want to talk about...you have sex house in London...?

Ewan: I run a sex house in London, and I don't charge people any money to come in...but I do ask people to leave a deposit on the way out.

[heard off camera: "Money, of course." followed by some "ooohs."]

Ewan: We have a...we have a collection pail on the way out. Basically, they come in, they str--you know, nudity is essential, and I have a table with about 40...not beds, but bells on it. And people seem to like to come in, have sex, ring bells, and so long as they leave something in the bucket on the way out, we're all happy! And it's my human right [thumps his fist on the table] to have a house like that. And I think that's only right.

SR: You've encapsulated the whole show, and thankfully. Uh...we've started this show with something rarely seen, but that our guest, who apparently knows about everything, knows something about. Word about a major musical...

At which point, there's a short report on a stage musical version of Harry Potter. Then, they go into this thing with Sharon Tay, the anchorwoman for their early morning show. She's basically...doing this weird singing/dance thing with Harry Potter glasses. They cut back to Sam, who's laughing and telling them to show Ewan's reaction. Ewan's somewhat unenthusiastic about it but eventually joins in by directing her.

Ewan: Give me one more, darling. This time, pull it in...that's it...

ST does the little "I'm a wizard!" thing.

Ewan: Oh, that's it. I liked that move.

Then, after much laughter, Sam moves on to the next story about George Clooney trying to take out an ad in Variety to get Matt Damon People's Sexiest Man designation.

This is followed then by SR and some pronunciation confusion over Ewan's name.

Ewan: Ee-Wan, Eugene...Anything like that...

SR: ...Bob...When Tom McGregor...

Ewan: Frank's always a favorite of mine.

SR: ...sings the classic "Your Song" in Moulin Rouge, that may be one of the best moments of modern movie musicals. So you're here to talk about that, but first...Ok, do people always ask you about Star Wars, like what's next...do you have to talk about it?

Ewan: Yeah, yeah. People do, yeah.

SR: And what is... IS there a degree of restriction? I mean do they say you cannot...

Ewan: Yeah, I mean, I can't discuss the plot or the characters. I can tell you we shot the second one...and we had a great time.

SR: But is that difficult...Because I imagine that...those that are fanatical about it are so into it...they must be like...c'mon c'mon...

Ewan: Yeah, they're frightening yes...

SR: And I don't...do you know all this backstory about stuff...not about you but like like...

Ewan: Do I know my own backstory?

SR: No, no, but like...do you know about who's the Jedi Master and all that...

Ewan: Yeah yeah. I'm not particularly up on all that kind of...side things...

SR: Yeah, me neither.

Ewan: No.

SR: And did you feel...I don't...I'm not in the movie...do you feel obligated to learn or...?

Ewan: No. I mean, my-my goal in doing Star Wars was to try and recreate Alec Guiness' performance, if you like, as a younger man. So, that was my challenge...to play Obi-Wan Kenobi as Alec might've been when he was a younger guy, you know. So that made it very interesting, using his vocal patterns and...Um...but ultimately, you have to make the part your own...so...you know....I did what I could do.

SR: And you've got the...will you do more? Or is that enough for you?

Ewan: I've shot the second...we've finished shooting the second one, and they're now doing all the computer work on that. And I think that's coming out next May. And um...we're shooting the third one in 2003.

SR: Wow you're all ready to go for that... Moulin Rouge uh...is...Baz Luhrmann, who people who work with him speak of with such great affection...How..., I mean, this is a movie...of this ilk... A big budget, very ambitious musical, I mean, when was the last one? I can't even think of it... uh...

Ewan: Evita...I think was the last one...

SR: Evita, right. So what made you decide you want to be a part of this?

Ewan: Well, I've always loved music, I've always sung all my life. And you don't really get the opportunity to do musicals on screen anymore, and certainly not with someone like Baz. So, he came over to London and I was doing a play at the time, which he came to see. And I'd auditioned for him for Romeo + Juliet. And what's lovely about him is that he really makes it his business to find out who around and what they're doing, you know, in all the different countries. So he goes to these huge tours meeting actors. And he'd worked with me for R+J for about, I would guess 2 hours, or something. So um...although I wasn't cast in the film, I did have a great experience working with him because he's an incredible director. And then, he remembered that and met me while I was doing this play, and then I sang for him one day...and...He told me the story... There was no script at that point. So he just um...kind of enthused me about it. He's an incredibly...visual, inspirational guy. So he enthused me into it, really.

SR: It is a very lavish production with a wonderful sound. Here's a look at Moulin Rouge.

[Come What May video clip]

Followed by a bit more of that weird "I'm a wizard!" thing with Sharon Tay.

Ewan: Oh, there she is...The work she's put into it is really going on the screen...

[cuts back to the Ewan who has a strange expression on his face]

SR: We should tell you that Moulin Rouge is coming back to theaters. You can see it on the big screen...

Ewan: Oh, it's very important that if you did see it before, that you go back to see it again. And if you haven't seen it, it's very important that you go to see it now. Thank you.

SR: You know what, do you...you can try being TV newscaster...this is our protein bar tease.

Ewan lean