When Doctor Sleep premiered on HBO last Saturday, viewers praised Ewan McGregor's poignant portrayal as the tortured Dan Torrance. It's not hard to appreciate McGregor, especially with his impeccable record of standout performances. Even in the Star Wars prequels, he was consistent, deftly reinterpreting Alec's Guinness' mannerisms in the roles of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Based on the 2013 horror novel by Stephen King, Doctor Sleep is a continuation of his '70s bestseller, The Shining. In the recent sequel, Dan remains haunted by the horrific events at the Overlook Hotel, where his father tried to kill him and his mother when he was young. While struggling with his sobriety, Dan has to rescue an innocent child, Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), from an unstoppable group of psychic vampires.
Doctor Sleep was a big box office disappointment, predicted to have cost Warner Brothers $20 million. The Shining was remade twice, as a feature film and a TV miniseries, which unfortunately confused the fanbase. Though the sequel didn't connect with theaters-goers, audiences discovered the horror movie for the first time when HBO started streaming the film. Viewers continue to display their affection for the lead actor over on Twitter.
From romance to comedy, McGregor has shown off his versatility in just about every movie genre. Check out which performances he absolutely rocked in:
10) Beauty and the Beast
McGregor shows off his comedic chops as the humorous and jovial Lumiere. Sir Ian McKellen is a great supporting player as the moody and dour Cogsworth. The witty humor between the enchanted clock and the cursed candelabra really plays nicely on screen.
9) Birds of Prey
McGregor pulls off being funny and scary as mobster Roman Sionis, aka Black Mask. While giving Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) a tour of his lavish hideout, Roman is both grossed out and amused by the shrunken heads in his collection. Even when Roman attempts to charm Black Canary, he still comes across as a threatening serial killer.
8) Big Fish
A true romantic at heart, Edward Bloom (McGregor) pours out his feelings for Sandra (Alison Lohman). Even though she's promised to another, who also happens to be a selfish jerk by the way, Edward will not give up on true love. Director Tim Burton has a cinematic eye for color as Edward dazzles Sandra with a beautiful field of yellow daffodils.
7) ) A Life Less Ordinary
Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz have such fantastic chemistry in this romantic crime thriller. The impeccable pair sing a pretty memorable cover of the Bobby Darin classic, "Beyond The Sea." There's also a really fun dance number and Stanley Tucci plays a maniacal dentist. What more do you want?
6) Robots
If you've seen Aladdin, then you know how Robin Williams is such a master at improvisation. McGregor holds his own and manages to keep up with the late comedic genius in Robots. The slapstick humor is off-the-wall as Rodney (McGregor) and Fender (Williams) find themselves stuck inside a flying ball.
5) The Phantom Menace
McGregor has the best lightsaber fight in all of Star Wars history. If you can get past Jar Jar Binks, the third act really pays off with an unforgettable three-way fight scene. The fighting intensifies between Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), Darth Maul (Ray Park), and Obi-Wan as the trio battles to the death.
4) Black Hawk Down
McGregor is superb at playing the everyman caught in an extraordinary situation. In his introduction, Grimes (McGregor) rants and whines about how he only made coffee during Desert Storm. Little does Grimes realize, he will be plucked out of obscurity and thrown into the intense Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia.
3) Moulin Rouge
McGregor sings his heart out to portraying the jealousy and anger within the lovelorn Christian. Unable to keep his emotions in check, Christian has fallen madly in love with the courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman). To channel Christian's innermost thoughts and desires, director Baz Luhrmann uses the lyrics of The Police's "Roxanne" in the rousing musical number, "El Tango De Roxanne."
2) Revenge of the Sith
In the third installment of the Star Wars prequels, Obi-Wan breaks down emotionally during his climactic battle against Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen). McGregor gives it his all as Kenobi screams, "You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!" This heartbreaking scene will definitely get any Star Wars fan for the upcoming Kenobi series on Disney+.
1) Trainspotting
This is the breakout role that made critics and audiences take notice. McGregor's narration pulls you right into the movie as he introduces his character, Mark, and the other heroin addicts. After watching the opening scene, viewers will be imitating McGregor's Scottish accent as they quote, "Choose life. Choose a job."
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