Ewan McGregor Left The United Kingdom For Los Angeles For This Hilarious Reason

Tammie Arroyo/AFF-USA.com MegaAgency

Ewan McGregor is easily one of the most iconic actors in Hollywood. He was named the fourth most influential person in British culture in 2004, not long before the end of the Star Wars prequel trilogy (which finished production in 2005).

It wasn’t until 2016 that the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” actor became an American citizen, but had captured the hearts of many U.S movie-goers long before that.

His reputation as a multi-faceted actor with skills spanning drama, action, and music is well documented and he has received acclaim from his home country on many occasions.  But do you know why he left the UK for the US in the first place?

Giphy | Walt Disney Studios

Although Ewan’s career has been nothing but spectacular for the most part, this hasn’t been the case with his love life.

Due to his filed divorce with now ex-wife Eve Mavrakis, Ewan lost half of his Star Wars earnings and reportedly even lost a $20 million dollar mansion in the split.

Despite the losses, it looks like Ewan hasn’t given up on love, or on making a house a home! The “Robots” (2005) voice actor purchased a “love nest” together with his new romantic partner Mary Elizabeth Winstead. (Who fans will know as Ewan’s co-star from the TV series “Fargo”.)

Wikimedia | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Consul_General_Richard_Yoneoka_and_Ewan_McGregor,_2016.jpg

What is rather hilarious about Ewan’s recent home buying, however, is that he actually became an American citizen in 2016, and moved to the U.S for an entirely different reason than romance.

Indeed, the “Black Hawk Down” actor shared in an interview with “The Scottish Sun” that he moved from the UK primarily because he simply couldn’t go out in public anymore! He shared that people would constantly come up to him and take “selfies.”

While this is nothing new for a popular celebrity in modern day (ever since cell phones have become so utilized) Ewan felt that this fan interaction was “soulless”, and he shared that he missed the days when fans would actually interact with him.

Wikimedia | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ewan_McGregor_Berlinale_2010.jpg

“As an actor you have to put yourselves in the shoes of other people and if you don’t get to be in the world then your work isn’t based on anything.

“I don’t want to have to not walk down the street. There are some places where it is easier to do than others.

“It got harder for me in London I felt and I don’t live in London anymore probably, maybe as a result.

“I noticed that when I would go somewhere alone I would be walking very fast with my head down.

“I’m always happy to speak to people if they want to come up and talk about my work, I really am, but it’s turned into just doing selfies with people.

“There is no conversation, there is no communication. All it is is someone comes up and wants a photograph so you stand and you take the photograph and they’re happy and off they go.

“It’s a soulless thing. There’s no exchange of anything.

AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN

Besides the fact that Ewan disliked how fans would take so many selfies with him, he also shared that he didn’t like London as a city. In 2010 he shared that he felt that people’s “liberty” was being violated on account of how many security cameras there were, and how laws were changing.

"It was harder when I lived in London. I don't think it's a depressing city, but I felt that liberty was being eaten away - you can't go out without being on security cameras. I have a different relationship with the place now. I don't live there so I enjoy going back."

Find out what Ewan is doing next on Netflix! Scroll down to read the story!