Ewan's supposed imitation of Alec Guiness

Many people seem to think Ewan's performance in AOTC and TPM is only his best imitation of Alec Guiness... Honestly I can say I see the similarities in gestures and their accents, but that's how it's supposed to be! They are both playing the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ewan Mcgregor is not playing the role of Alec, playing the role of Obi-Wan. The Obi-Wan of the prequels has a lot of more screen time and displays a much wider range of emotions than OT Obi-Wan ever did. How can anyone say Ewan is imitating another actor who never even performed the same type of scenes he did?

Saying Ewan's Obi-Wan Kenobi is an imitation of Alec Guiness is like saying Pierce Brosnan's James Bond is an imitation of Sean Connery. These actors are using the same mannerisms and accent because they're playing the same character! Yes, Ewan needs to use a different accent, but so did George Lazenby when he took over the role of Bond from Connery. The character is established as speaking with a an english accent, so Ewan could not play Obi-Wan, speaking with his normal scottish accent.

 

I remember reading that River Pheonix immitated Harrison Ford for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. So at least some actors use that approach.

 

I don't know why it comes as a surprise to people that someone playing the same character as someone else would try to affect the same mannerisms... NNOOOOOOO! really?!? He's acting like Alec Guiness when he was Obi-Wan? Why would he do that? Why would he affect that same rich English accent? OH THAT'S RIGHT IT'S THE SAME CHARACTER... sheesh

I think it would be a bigger travesty if actors DIDN'T try to copy mannerisms. If Ewan MacGregor tried to so Obi-Wan with his native Scottish brogue, I guarantee TFN would be in an uproar over how it's DIFFERENT. People shouldn't complain about him acting the SAME. It's good for consistency in the character.

 

"They are both playing the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Yes, but Alec Guiness basically defined who Obi-Wan Kenobi was, along with how he talks and acts. Therefore, when Ewan McGregor acts like the Obi-Wan from the OT, his reference is Alec Guiness's portrayal. Prior to the PT, Alec Guiness was Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ewan McGregor may try to act like Obi-Wan from the OT, and to do so, he copies some of Alec Guiness's mannerisms.

 

Absolutely Worf, it just makes me cranky when people rip off Ewan for playing the part he's supposed to be playing.

 

But Alec Guiness wasn't being himself - he was being Obi-Wan. Ewan isn't playing the role of Alec Guiness in the prequels, he's playing the part of Obi-Wan. Alec did what the director told him to. The only imitation on Ewan's part is the accent. Other than that, the performance is up to George on how he wants his actors to act.

 

Sorry to burst your bubble but EM is playing Alec Guinesses's Obi-wan Kenobi. In an interview (I believe it is on one of the many documentries) George talks about how he was Amazed at how EM capured the essense of Alec in lines such as "Dreams pass in time...". Hayden spent HOURS watching and rewatching the OT preparing to become a Skywalker... there are similarities not ONLY between himself, Prowes and JEJ, but Also Mark Hammil... It's a tribute from these actors to their predesesors as well as a respect for the role...

 

Alec Guiness interpreted the Obi-Wan characters his way.
Ewan had to stick to that interpretation and yet play him as a younger man. Meaning he could play parts of the character his own way.
I watch Ewans performance and see Alec's Obi-Wan as a younger man, which is what it's supposed to be.
Both acotrs have done an incredible job in bringing this man to life.

 

For me, Ewan's performance as a young Obi-Wan has been one of the few high spots in the otherwise disappointing prequels.

I think his accent's terrific and he's very convincing as a younger version of the man we saw in ANH.

 

EW has done a fantastic job playing Obi Wan.

Yes, Alec did set the standards for ben, but Ewan is playing the part of ben the way alec did. sure ewan can throw in his own small traits to the character, but the important thing to remember here is that Star Wars is a saga, in wich most of the cast and characters are in every movie. they must change accordingly to the time periods. the actors just have to portray them well enough to convence the audience of the change.

 

Who exactly has a problem with Ewan? I mean, I've never read anyone complain because he was imitating Alec Guiness...

 

I'm not a great fan of EM's portrayal of Obi-wan. Why? Because the character is young and yet often speaks like an old man i.e like a 60 yr old Alec Guiness. I think there are plenty of English actors out there who could have produced a better performance. To me it sounds phoney - like someone who doesn't normally speak with an English accent trying to talk in one. An English actor's peformance would have been more natural.

I'm British and I know of no one in real-life who talks anything like the way EM does in the PT, apart from old men!

 

I don't have any complaints about Ewan. He's one of the high points of the PT.

Portman, on the other hand...

 

>>>>I'm British and I know of no one in real-life who talks anything like the way EM does in the PT, apart from old men!

This may be a shock to you, but Obi-Wan Kenobi is not British.

He lived long ago in a galaxy far, far away from here.

The accent is British, but why should Obi-Wan talk like a 35 year old guy in England NOW does?

For the record, I never heard or saw anyone bash EM for his portrayal of OB1.

Personally, I think he's great.

It seems like the same character as the OT, unlike the soap opera I used to watch (All My Children) where they'd change actors & you'd say "Not even close".

The main difference I see is that OB1 of the PT hasn't quite gotten the self discipline to completely curb his tongue yet.

 

Hell yeah.

 

Ewan does an awesome job. His portrayal makes me feel more for the older Ben as played by Alec Guiness. I don't think it's a straight imitation, however. The young Obi-Wan has more of an edge than his older self. His performance is probably the best thing about the prequels imo.

 

For the record, I never heard or saw anyone bash EM for his portrayal of OB1.

The harshest critisism of Ewan's Obi-Wan I've ever heard was that he was "only" imitating Alec Guiness. That's pretty much all, which isn't too harsh at all under normal circumstances, but they make it sound like he's not really acting. Ewan's Obi-Wan is flawless, IMO.

 

It seems to me that he's damned if he does and damed if he doesn't. He needs to have a similar voice and mannerisms of Guinness' Obi Wan for consistency but when he does that people say he's just imitating him. I think he's done a great job. He nailed Obi Wan's mixture of solomb responsibility and recklessness that we saw in the OT. I really don't know how the performance could be much better.

 

One important aspect of acting for me is to make me forget that they are actors. I am a huge Ewan fan, yet when I see him in the PT I don't see Ewan, I see Obi-Wan. To me that says a lot about an actor. For example, when I see them onscreen, Harrison Ford, Han and Indy are three separate and distinct persons. That, for me, is great acting.

Ewan had to imitate a lot from Guiness to "become" Obi-Wan, but the thing is that he had to. The wonderful thing for me is that he becomes Obi-Wan, not a guy doing and impression.

 

^^^^
Exactly...

I don't see EM/AG, I see Obi-wan Kenobi as he was when he was young and brash and still 'innocent'... The fact that he has 'become' Obi-wan to many people is a testamount to his gifts as an actor... I can hardly wait until 3 when he finally begins to bridge the gap between 'his younger self' and the 'Ben Kenobi' of 20 odd years later...

 

I know this is probably blasphemy, but my favorite character from the OT is Obi-Wan.

I know Alec Guiness hated being identified with that part, but too bad. OB1 is sure more likable than that pompous British Colonel building the Bridge On The River Kwai - although that is also an excellent acting job.

I really like the balance between the power that he has & the maturity to shut up & not tell everyone about it, like when Han says "I never seen anything to make me believe in an all powerful force...." He doesn't say "Oh yeah?" and force choke him or even levitate a pear, he just chuckles like 'why bother?'.

Or later, "Who's more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him."

Now just to tie it into EM, I haven't seen anything in the PT that does anything to make me think of Alec Guiness, but rather of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

I think EM's portrayal enhances the character.

And, that's good acting.

 

Yip, if you watch Ewan in AOTC and then watch him in Trainspotting it's hard to imagine it's the same guy. Great actor.

 

IMO, Ewan's done a great job thus far. His performance is one of the PTs strengths.

 

Anyone have a picture of a young Alec Guiness?

 

Here are a couple. He doesn't really resemble a young Ewan, but as Ewan ages, he does resemble Alec a little.

[image=http://www.members.aol.com/akirak500/alecposing.jpg]
A provocative pose by a young Alec.

[image=http://www.members.aol.com/akirak500/alecguinness5.jpg]
Alec from The Bridge on the River Kwai