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.
5. Robert Carlyle (Begbie)
Robert Carlyle, who became involved in drama at the Glasgow Arts Centre at the age of 21, has made a career playing brutally violent characters – and none more memorable than moustachioed psychopath Francis Begbie in Trainspotting. After the film, he had roles in The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes and The Beach – to name but a few. He has also starred on TV in Hamish Macbeth and Stargate Universe. More recently, the 59-year-old actor played Rumplestiltskin in American fantasy drama Once Upon a Time. Photo: Third Party
6. diane.jpg
Just 19-years-old at the time, Kelly Macdonald had no acting experience when she auditioned for Trainspoitting. But since shooting to fame as schoolgirl seductress Diane, the Glasgow-born actress has gone on to enjoy a fabulous career. She starred alongside Emma Thompson in Nanny McPhee, and had roles in Gosford Park, Intermission, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Brave. For her role in the Cohen brothers’ American neo-Western thriller No Country for Old Men, she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Macdonald went on to star for five seasons in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire as Margaret Thompson, for which she received a 2011 Emmy Award nomination. In 2021, she played the supporting lead in the sixth series of the BBC's hugely-popular police drama, Line of Duty. Photo: Third Party
7. Kevin McKidd (Tommy)
Since his turn as tragic Tommy in Trainspotting, Elgin-born Kevin McKidd, now 47, has enjoyed a varied career with roles on both the big and small screens. He played Count Vronsky in the BBC miniseries Anna Karenina, Lucius Vorenus in the historical drama series Rome and Dan Vasser in the NBC series Journeyman. McKidd provided the voice of John “Soap” MacTavish in the video games Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. He also played Poseidon in the film Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, and Father Deegan in the Father Ted Christmas special. Most notably, McKidd has starred as Dr Owen Hunt in ABC’s multi-award-winning Grey’s Anatomy since 2008. Photo: Third Party
8. Danny Boyle (director)
Danny Boyle’s debut directorial feature, Shallow Grave, marked him out as a major new British talent, and Trainspotting did nothing to harm his growing reputation. He went on to win an Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire, and was widely praised for his role as artistic director of the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony. Boyle’s other film credits include The Beach, 28 Days Later, and Sunshine. He also helmed Trainspotting sequel T2. Photo: Third Party