Ewan McGregor vs. Alec Guinness

Howdy y'all - new here.

I've searched and haven't found a similar topic... so, who actually prefers Ewan McGregor's interpretation of Obi -Wan more than Alec Guinness's? I definitely do at this point - I've seen both trilogies countless times and I feel like Ewan just sinks his teeth into their character more and makes him more nuanced. Maybe it's just the fact that he has waaaay more screen time... but I feel like Ewan's version is just more likeable and trustworthy over all. Thoughts?

 

I think Alec Guiness did a good job as a wise, battle scared Obi-Wan Kenobi, and set up this famous, much loved character very well indeed.
Ewan McGregor had huge shoes to fill. And boy did he fill them. He took Obi-Wan to the next level, turning him into a really believable, entertaining character with real soul. His acting was spot on. When I think of Obi-Wan, it is Ewan that comes to mind. I love his character best out of the entire saga.
Ewan's performance actually boosts Alec's character, giving him new meaning and depth. You could believe they are the same person. And that is no mean feat.

 

Apples and oranges.

 

I don't dislike Ewan McGregor's portrayal of Obi-Wan; in fact, I love it.

But Sir Alec Guinness has always been and will always be Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi to me. When someone says "Obi-Wan" or "Kenobi," Sir Alec is the first image in my mind.

I agree; it's hard to compare them, but I think you can on some levels. Really, the onus is on Ewan to, by the end of Revenge, show that he could logically be Sir Alec in 19 years. He can be however he wants from the start of Phantom through Attack and into Revenge so long as by the end of Revenge he is close to the way Sir Alec Guinness portrayed Obi-Wan in Star Wars.

 

Ewan McGregor.

Nothing against Alec Guinness though.

 

It was a bit hard to get used to Ewan at first, especially since his role was small in TPM. But now I think he's as good an incarnation of a young/mature Obi as Sir Alec of an old one.

 

I wouldn't choose one over another. They're both amazing and portray my favorite SW character with great acting ability.

 

McGregor, for the same reason I prefer Daniel Craig's Bond over Sean Connery's: the iteration is infused with more depth.

I would have loved to see Sir Alec deliver the ?You were my brother, Anakin!? speech. Sadly, he didn't get anything that juicy in the OT.


Oh, and welcome to TFN, Jango!

 

Thanks! Glad to be here. I love Alec's understated performance - he really didn't have a lot to go on to make the character his own. The scene in his hut in ANH is probably one of the best in the saga. But Ewan really (especially in EPs II and III) makes me forget Alec when I watch the prequels. To me, that means he owned the role.

 

Apples and Oranges. Obi-Wan changed during his time in exile for obvious reasons.

I will say that I find the prequel Obi-Wan more likable than original Obi-Wan, because of in-universe reasons not acting.

 

I thought McGregor did an excellent job of channeling Alec Guinness as he portrayed a younger version of the character that Guinness established. This includes McGregor doing an excellent job in showing the character's growth and development over the course of the three PT movies.

 

Ewan McGregor's better, but look at it this way - He copied Alec Guinness' performances. They made him a reel of all of Alec's scenes and Ewan studied them prior to shooting Episode 1. So, even though Ewan is better, if it wasn't for Alec, Ewan wouldn't be the same. After saying this, I don't know if it's possible to choose between the two. It's like saying which is better: ANH or ESB. You may sat ESB, however if it wasn't for ANH, ESB wouldn't have existed. Catch 22!

 

I wouldn't even say that McGregor is better... but I agree with the rest of this, which was a big part of my point above.