Ewan McGregor ‘Burst Into Tears’ Watching 1 Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ Scene

By Russ Milheim Updated:
Obi-Wan, Ewan McGregor, Vivien Lyra Blair, Qui-Gon

According to Ewan McGregor himself, the actor got quite emotional while watching the finished Obi-Wan Kenobi episodes.

Last year’s Star Wars Disney+ series was one of the most highly anticipated projects out of the franchise for a long while. Fans had been begging for McGregor to return to the role for years, and now, the time had finally arrived.

At the end of the day, the reception to the project ended up being fairly mixed. While the world enjoyed more Kenobi, some of the production seemed cheap, and a few story beats fell flat for some.

However, for the leading actor, the show’s story hit his emotions hard.

Ewan McGregor Cried Watching Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ Episodes

In a new interview with Disney Studios Awards, Ewan McGregor, who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi, talked about how emotional he got watching his recent Disney+ series for the first time.

According to the actor, “[he] burst into tears” when he saw the scene where Kenobi tells Vivian Lyra Blair’s Leia, “May the force be with you:”

“When I saw Episode 6 [of Obi-Wan Kenobi] for the first time… I got to see them down where we show in Manhattan Beach, and I had to go down there, and I went down there, and I watched Episodes 1 to 3. They literally shut me in a room on my own, and I was so impressed. But when… I was sitting there, and I watched Episode 6… when I tell [Vivien Lyra Blair’s Leia], ‘May the Force Be With You,’ at the end, I burst into tears. I was sitting there… There’s something so moving about it.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi, Leia Organa
Lucasfilm

McGregor isn’t alone in his emotional reaction to Obi-Wan Kenobi. It was previously revealed in a press conference, as reported by Collider, that Liam Neeson cried during rehearsal.

According to Neeson, both he and Ewan McGregor “started crying” as they rehearsed their reunion scene:

“It was Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan on a camel, a real camel, and me… we rehearsed it before we shot it, and we just started crying, and it was lovely. That Star Wars that we did, Phantom Menace, we shot it over 25 years ago. It came out in 1999, when CGI was in its infancy. That’s why it took so long for it to come out. It was lovely to do. It was great to do.”

Liam Neeson, Qui-Gon
Lucasfilm

More Cry-worthy Scenes for Obi-wan on the Way?

For many, crying was probably a common occurrence while watching Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Seeing Ewan McGregor on screen for the first time in so long was an emotional experience, one accentuated by moments such as his fight with Vader or meeting Luke Skywalker for the first time. But can fans look forward to any more with the iconic character?

McGregor himself hopes that he and Hayden Christensen “get the chance to do it again” for a Season 2. As of now, it doesn’t look like there are any real plans for a continuation—despite previous rumors saying otherwise.

In the meantime, audiences can look forward to The Mandalorian’s long-awaited return on March 1 and Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka sometime later this year.

If Obi-Wan Kenobi does get another season, it wouldn’t release until 2024 at the earliest.

- About The Author: Russ Milheim
Russ Milheim is the Industry Relations Coordinator at The Direct. On top of utilizing his expertise on the many corners of today’s entertainment to cover the latest news and theories, he establishes and maintains communication and relations between the outlet and the many studio and talent representatives.