Actor admits he has thought about quitting during star filled Scottish Bafta celebration
Ewan McGregor shared a heartfelt admission at the Scottish Bafta awards in Glasgow, telling a captivated audience that he has at times considered giving up acting because he cannot bear being apart from his wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead. The much loved actor arrived at the glamorous ceremony wearing a kilt and accompanied by Mary, who is forty years old. He was at the event to receive the Outstanding Contribution Award, one of the most celebrated honours of the night.
The couple met while filming the television series Fargo in twenty seventeen, and their relationship has been a central part of McGregors life ever since. As he accepted his award from his actor uncle Denis Lawson, the fifty four year old star openly described how difficult it is for him to be separated from Mary for long periods while filming. He told the audience that she has made him want to step back from acting simply because he hates leaving her behind. He said he loves working with her and hopes they can appear in many more Scottish film projects together.
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The star studded venue welcomed many other well known figures from film and television. Among them were David Tennant who arrived wearing a kilt, X Men actor James McAvoy and performer Alan Cumming. The event brought together a strong collection of Scottish talent as well as rising names and established favourites from across the entertainment world.
During his speech McGregor also recalled a striking moment from the early days of his career when he was beaten up while out with friends in Glasgow. He said the experience, although frightening and painful, later became a useful emotional memory for one of his early performances. He described being punched after making a light comment on a train, then being chased onto a platform where he was hit again. According to McGregor, his uncle advised him to use those feelings of shock and humiliation when preparing for a stage role. He joked that he should thank the stranger who punched him because the memory had helped him shape his craft.
The evening also celebrated a wide range of winners across film and television. James McArdle won the award for best actor in film or television for his role in Four Mothers. Saoirse Ronan collected the award for best actress for The Outrun, while Nora Fingscheidt received the directing prize for the same production. The feature film On Falling secured honours for writing and for best film. A factual award went to The Hunt for Peter Tobin, and Lockerbie A Search for Truth won in the scripted television category. The Audience Award for favourite Scot on screen went to Sheli McCoy from Gladiators.
Sheli spoke about the thrill of hearing her name announced and said it was the biggest rush of her life. She also revealed that she hopes to follow her fellow Gladiators star Nitro, known off screen as Harry Aikines Aryeetey, by taking part in Strictly Come Dancing. She said she would welcome the opportunity to appear on the show and is confident she has at least a little rhythm to work with.
The ceremony featured more personal insights as well. Presenter Jean Johansson shared her hopes of fronting her own property renovation series inspired by her colleague Jasmine Harmans recent success. She explained that she and her husband have a home in Gotland in Sweden that would provide the perfect backdrop for such a programme. She said the project could be entertaining, especially with the involvement of her mother in law and the challenges of restoring a period property.
Actor James McArdle also spoke warmly about working with Celia Imrie on the upcoming HBO production War. He described her as a mother figure on set and recalled a fond memory involving a song recorded for his father years earlier. He added that filming with her has been a joy and that she remained tight lipped about her appearance on the show Traitors even when they watched it together.