Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, 55, became emotional while discussing the difficult period following his separation from first wife Eve Mavrakis in 2017. Speaking at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the Trainspotting star described the aftermath as a 'very painful time' with his children, particularly his eldest daughter Clara, who was 'expressing her anger very well'.
Family Background and the Split
McGregor married Mavrakis, 60, in the summer of 1995 after reportedly meeting on the set of the TV show Kavanagh QC, where she worked as assistant art director. The couple have four children together, including Clara, who starred alongside her father in the 2023 film Bleeding Love.
According to The Telegraph, McGregor said: 'My children were very hurt, Clara was very hurt and Clara was – I'm very grateful for it now – but she was very open with me, very vocal with me.'
The Film That Healed
Later, Clara approached her dad to tell him she was writing a story about them and wanted him to play the father. The film, which premiered at SXSW festival in 2023, was written by Ruby Caster but came from an original story by Clara, Vera Bulder, and Caster. It follows an estranged father on a road trip with his daughter who has just suffered a drug overdose.
Referencing the film, McGregor said: 'It was about the reparation of a relationship between a father and daughter that hadn't fully happened between us.' He clarified that although the film was 'not biographical', there are 'massive elements' that were.
Cathartic Moment
McGregor described an 'incredible, brilliant moment when she [Clara] fully lets her dad have it; really tells him what she thinks of him and she was able to do so in reality'. Initially, he said his daughter was 'slightly reluctant to go there', but the Star Wars actor instructed her: 'Clara, just let me have it. Do it.'
McGregor is now married to Fargo co-star Mary Elizabeth Winstead, whom he wed in 2022. The couple welcomed a child in 2021 – Laura McGregor, born on June 25, now five years old. The emotional revelations at the festival highlight the personal journey behind the film's creation, which served as a means of reconciliation for the father-daughter duo.
