Following the release of “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace,” we learned that Ewan McGregor made the sound while crossing lightsabers with Darth Maul in the film. It’s an endearing habit that continues to this day.
During the virtual press conference for Disney+’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” McGregor was initially evasive about the practice. But then his co-star Moses Ingram busted him. “Everybody knows you do it,” he said.
Finally, McGregor opened up. “I know,” he said. “It’s impossible not to, and if you’re not doing them, you’re doing it in your head, I think.”
Maintaining that sense of play is essential to being a great actor. Your eight year old inner child should always be accessible. So it’s wonderful, and not surprising, to know that McGregor is living every kid’s dream when he dons his robe and picks up his blue lightsaber. I would do the same, and so would you.
As for McGregor’s portrayal of Kenobi, it doesn’t seem like the character will be returning anytime soon. Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy told Variety in April 2023 that a second season of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” is not in active development. Given the number of spin-offs the company has lined up and the lukewarm critical reception to the miniseries, we may have seen the last of McGregor’s Kenobi, which is just fine. The character has nowhere to go now that the gap between “Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope” has closed. Let the tortured Jedi rest.
