Airport man Erik appears in both Trainspotting films

Aged 19 in 1996, the Edinburgh Airport communications manager stood under the speakers of the Volcano nightclub, smoking a cigarette and staring at passers-by.

He was standing beside Ewan McGregor, in character as Mark Renton, shortly before he meets schoolgirl Diane, played by Kelly Macdonald.

And now part-time film extra Erik is set to score a unique double – by appearing on the big screen in the hotly anticipated sequel.

Erik Geddes starring in 'Trainspotting' next to some extra called Ewan McGregor

Erik was asked by director Danny Boyle to appear in T2: Trainspotting – out next month – during scenes shot at the airport, after he learnt of his first appearance in the original 20 years earlier.

Erik said: “My colleague Rob Lang worked closely with Danny Boyle and the crew, assisting them with locations across the airport when they were shooting here in the summer.

“When Rob introduced me to Danny and I told him I’d been in the first Trainspotting Danny was delighted – and insisted that I make a cameo in T2 too.

“Naturally, I was more than happy to oblige.”

The long-awaited sequel reunites McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Robert Carlyle and Jonny Lee Miller.

Excitement among fans peaked last month when producers released the first trailer of the film, giving the public a taster of what to expect.

Various Capital landmarks featured in the two-minute clip, including Arthur’s Seat, Parliament Square, the airport and a tram on Princes Street.

Erik, now 39, said: “I loved reading Trainspotting when I was a teenager but it was the movie that really delivered it into the heart of mainstream Scottish culture.

“It was amazing to be a small part of it, way back then.

“Twenty years later, it was so cool when we had it confirmed that T2 was to be filmed here at Edinburgh Airport.

“The airport is an iconic landmark structure for the city – and for the whole of Scotland – so it is fitting that it features in what looks set to be the biggest Scottish film for years.”

He added: “Ewan McGregor was cool, just as you’d expect.

“I quietly said to him between takes, ‘I haven’t felt this good since The Volcano in 1996’. And he just smiled back at me.

“I was used as an extra in the T2 filming but we’ll need to wait and see if I make the final cut when the movie hits the big screen. Either way, like everyone, I’m really looking forward to seeing the film.”

Despite boasting their own star, Edinburgh Airport bosses have remained tight-lipped about the detail of the scenes shot there earlier this year.

Speaking to the Evening News last month, Rob Lang, head of marketing at the terminal, said: “We were excited to be a part of filming the sequel to such an iconic Scottish film.

“We look forward to the release of T2: Trainspotting in January.”

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