The Hilarious Jedi Trick Ewan McGregor Actually Uses In Real Life
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a role Ewan McGregor just can't seem to get away from. The Scottish actor stepped into the part of Kenobi in the late '90s. They were big shoes to fill, considering they were previously worn by Alec Guinness in the original "Star Wars" trilogy. Add to this the fact that the George Lucas-directed "Star Wars" prequel trilogy — "The Phantom Menace," "Attack of the Clones," and "Revenge of the Sith" — got a considerably more divided response than the films of the late '70s and early '80s, and it's even more impressive that McGregor is returning to the role after 17 years for the Disney+ limited series "Obi-Wan Kenobi," the latest television outing which expands the "Star Wars" universe and fleshes out the Skywalker Saga timeline.
While McGregor's non-"Star Wars" work in smaller, quieter films like "Beginners" and "Zoe" has strengthened his dramatic abilities and will likely inform his performance as a defeated post-"Revenge of the Sith" Kenobi on the Disney+ show, there's another ingredient that may help his Jedi character work so well on screen. That ingredient is the actor's own love of the "Star Wars" world, which he proved to have in spades when he revealed a hilarious Jedi trick he has taken to using in real life. There are no doubt fans who can relate.
Ewan McGregor uses a Jedi trick at supermarkets
Some duel with plastic lightsabers (or just good old sticks) while others make futile attempts at using the Force for their mind control techniques, but actor Ewan McGregor prefers something a little more public with his real-life Jedi tricks. While promoting the upcoming Disney+ "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series, McGregor revealed he likes to throw out a classic Jedi finger wave just before the automatic doors at supermarkets open (via EW). The actor said his move is for his "own amusement," but he has been caught in the act, which he dubs "kind of embarrassing." Still, according to the man behind one of the galaxy's most famous Jedis, when the wave is timed just right, one can feel like a real Jedi using the Force. "If the timing is right, it feels very powerful," he said.
What hasn't worked out for the actor is trying to use Jedi mind tricks with a similar wave of the hand, something we see Obi-Wan Kenobi is capable of in the franchise. "I've seen TV hypnotists and stuff ... where they actually get people to believe something that's not true by the way they say things. But, no, I don't have those skills," he said, adding later that even his kids are "impervious" to attempted Jedi mind tricks, even if they are from Kenobi himself.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi" premieres on Disney+ on Wednesday, May 25.