Ewan McGregor: I was so nervous on the set of T2 Trainspotting

The actor feared he wouldn't be able to get back into character
Nervous: Ewan McGregor has reprised his role as Mark Renton
Mike Windle/Getty
Emma Powell9 November 2016
The Weekender

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Ewan McGregor has revealed he was overcome with nerves on the set of Trainspotting sequel T2.

The actor, 45, said he was fearful that he wouldn’t be able to ‘return’ to his character Mark Renton – a role he last played two decades ago.

“It was wonderful to be back, but it was nerve-racking,” he told Edith Bowman on Virgin Radio.

“I was scared in case I couldn’t find him [Mark Renton] again. Twenty years later. I thought ‘What if I can’t find him? What if he’s not there?’

“But I am Renton and Renton’s me, so he was there, when I looked for him.”

Much of the book has been adapted to fit in with the later time-frame of the story to ‘take reality into account’.

Speaking about the novel Welsh said recently: “We've had to evolve past that, because the actors would have been ten years older when Porno came out, and now they're 20 years older. It has to take into account that reality.”

McGregor is currently preparing for the release of his directorial debut, American Pastoral – and he’s already got his sights set on a second.

When asked whether he would like to sit in the director’s chair again he told Bowman: “I watch it and I think, ‘That’s the film I wanted to make’ but I feel like I should try and do something entirely different. Something small. Almost like making my first movie.

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“[American Pastoral] was like making my second movie – I had quite a lot of money and these amazing actors, and it’s based on a Pulitzer prize-winning novel. There was something a bit second movie about it and I feel I should go back and make my first one.”

He continued: “All I’ve got at the moment is the idea that it should be contemporary, with young people, teenagers or twenty year olds. And I won’t be in it. And I’d like to find a story that I work with a writer on. So find an original story and be a part of it right from the start.

“I’m not a good enough writer to do it myself but I’d like to work with a writer on it. And maybe it should be in Scotland and be for very little money, and take five weeks to shoot. That’s like Trainspotting!”

T2: Trainspotting is slated for release on January 27, 2017.

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