Trainspotting: Where are the stars of Danny’s Boyle’s cult Edinburgh film now – including Ewan McGregor

Based on Irvine Welsh’s scabrous Edinburgh-set novel, Danny Boyle’s big screen adaptation of Trainspotting gave British cinema a much-needed shot in the arm when it was released in 1996.

By Gary Flockhart

Published 12th Feb 2023, 04:55 GMT

Now regarded as a stone-cold classic, the darkly-comic tale of a group of heroin addicts in 1980s Edinburgh was seminal, infinitely quotable, and made household names of its young stars.

Here, we look at what the cult film’s cast – and director – have been up to in the years since.

We look at what Trainspotting's cast – and director – have been up to in the years since the film was released.

1. Ewen Bremner, Ewan McGregor and Robert Carlyle

We look at what Trainspotting's cast – and director – have been up to in the years since the film was released. Photo: Third Party

Of all the Trainspotting cast members, Ewan McGregor has enjoyed the most success – with one role in particular shooting his career into a whole new galaxy (far, far away). The Perth-born star won Best Actor in Film for Trainspotting at the BAFTA Awards and a Golden Globe for his performance in the Fargo series. Other notable roles include playing young poet Christian in Australian auteur Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge!, an Iggy Pop-channeling rock star in Velvet Goldmine, and Nick Leeson in Rogue Trader. McGregor also starred in A Life Less Ordinary, Black Hawk Down, Young Adam, Big Fish and Cassandra’s Dream. His biggest role to date saw him cast as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. He also made voice appearances in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. He is also the voice of Expedia's current TV ads.

2. Ewan McGregor (Mark Renton)

Of all the Trainspotting cast members, Ewan McGregor has enjoyed the most success – with one role in particular shooting his career into a whole new galaxy (far, far away). The Perth-born star won Best Actor in Film for Trainspotting at the BAFTA Awards and a Golden Globe for his performance in the Fargo series. Other notable roles include playing young poet Christian in Australian auteur Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge!, an Iggy Pop-channeling rock star in Velvet Goldmine, and Nick Leeson in Rogue Trader. McGregor also starred in A Life Less Ordinary, Black Hawk Down, Young Adam, Big Fish and Cassandra’s Dream. His biggest role to date saw him cast as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. He also made voice appearances in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. He is also the voice of Expedia's current TV ads. Photo: Third Party

Ewen Bremner famously played Spud in the big-screen version of Trainspotting, but did you know the Edinburgh-born actor played Mark Renton in the original stage production of Irvine Welsh's novel? Since his breakthrough role, the former Portobello High School pupil has gone on to work with a host of big-name directors – including Mike Leigh (Naked), Harmony Karine (Julien-Donkey Boy), Michael Winterbottom (Forget About Me), Ridley Scott (Black Hawk Down), Woody Allen (Match Point), Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor), Guy Ritchie (Snatch) and Bong Joon Ho, (Snowpiercer). In 2017, Bremner reprised his role as Spud in T2 Trainspotting, the sequel to Trainspotting, for which he was awarded the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor. He was also cast as Creation Records founder Alan McGee in the feature film, Creation Stories.

3. Ewen Bremmer (Spud)

Ewen Bremner famously played Spud in the big-screen version of Trainspotting, but did you know the Edinburgh-born actor played Mark Renton in the original stage production of Irvine Welsh's novel? Since his breakthrough role, the former Portobello High School pupil has gone on to work with a host of big-name directors – including Mike Leigh (Naked), Harmony Karine (Julien-Donkey Boy), Michael Winterbottom (Forget About Me), Ridley Scott (Black Hawk Down), Woody Allen (Match Point), Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor), Guy Ritchie (Snatch) and Bong Joon Ho, (Snowpiercer). In 2017, Bremner reprised his role as Spud in T2 Trainspotting, the sequel to Trainspotting, for which he was awarded the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Actor. He was also cast as Creation Records founder Alan McGee in the feature film, Creation Stories. Photo: Third Party

Since his role as loveable rogue Sick Boy, London-born actor Miller, 48, has been a regular on both the small and silver screens. In 1996, shortly after the release of Trainspotting, he married Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie, though the couple divorced 18 months later. Among his most notable credits are Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, and a role in National Theatre's 2011 production of Frankenstein, which earned him an Olivier award for Best Actor. Miller reprised the role of Sick Boy in the 2017 sequel T2 Trainspotting.

4. Jonny Lee Miller (Sick Boy)

Since his role as loveable rogue Sick Boy, London-born actor Miller, 48, has been a regular on both the small and silver screens. In 1996, shortly after the release of Trainspotting, he married Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie, though the couple divorced 18 months later. Among his most notable credits are Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, and a role in National Theatre's 2011 production of Frankenstein, which earned him an Olivier award for Best Actor. Miller reprised the role of Sick Boy in the 2017 sequel T2 Trainspotting. Photo: Third Party

Edinburgh Irvine Welsh Ewan McGregor

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