T2 Trainspotting

Ewan McGregor (Actor) .. Renton

Born: March 31, 1971 in Crieff, near Perth, Scotland

Best Known For: Trainspotting and Star Wars.

Early-life: Ewan Gordon McGregor was born on March 31, 1971, in Perth, Scotland, and was raised in nearby Crieff. He's the son of two teachers and the nephew of actor Denis Lawson. His brother is a former RAF pilot. His parents encouraged him to leave school at 16 to do whatever made him happy. Inspired by his uncle, he studied drama for a year at Kirkcaldy in Fife, before joining London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Shortly before graduating, he landed a role in Dennis Potter's 1993 series Lipstick on Your Collar.

Career: Shallow Grave kick-started McGregor's film career in 1994, then Trainspotting made his name on both sides of the Atlantic two years later. He went on to make Brassed Off, A Life Less Ordinary, Little Voice and the three Star Wars prequels. He formed production company Natural Nylon with friends Jonny Lee Miller, Sean Pertwee, Jude Law and Sadie Frost, but that has since disbanded. Other movies include Moulin Rouge!, Black Hawk Down, Young Adam, Big Fish, Deception, Angels & Demons, The Ghost and Mortdecai. The prolific actor always has a number of films in the pipeline, and occasionally tackles theatre work.

Quote: 'Film-making is like a series of problems that need to be solved. And the excitement, the adrenaline that you get from making a small film is that you all have to pull together. I love that.'

Trivia: Away from movies, he is active in several charities, including UNICEF, and has travelled the globe alongside pal Charley Boorman in the Long Way series.

Robert Carlyle (Actor) .. Begbie/Begbie's Father

Born: April 14, 1961 in Glasgow

Best Known For: The Full Monty.

Early-life: Robert Carlyle was born in Glasgow on April 14, 1961. His mother left home when he was four. He was raised by his father in a succession of communes in England and Scotland. After leaving school with no qualifications, Carlyle followed in his father's footsteps by working as a painter and decorator. At 21, he bought a copy of Arthur Miller's classic play The Crucible, which inspired him to become an actor. He studied at the Glasgow Arts Centre and the Royal Scottish Academy Of Music And Drama.

Career: Carlyle co-founded the Raindog theatre group in Glasgow in 1990 and his big break came in the same year when director Ken Loach cast him in the film Riff-Raff. Four years later, he won a Scottish Bafta for his performance as murderer Albie Kinsella in a three-part episode of Cracker. The lead role in Hamish Macbeth followed in 1995. He caught Hollywood's attention after appearing in Trainspotting and The Full Monty. He has also starred in Plunkett and Macleane, Angela's Ashes, The Beach, Bond film The World Is Not Enough, and The 51st State, as well as 28 Weeks Later.

Quote: 'Acting is such a frivolous thing to do, so I want to try and use that skill on projects that have something to say.'

Trivia: He was awarded an OBE in 1999.

Ewen Bremner (Actor) .. Spud

Born: January 23, 1972 in Edinburgh

Best Known For: Playing Spud in Trainspotting.

Early-life: Ewen was born in Edinburgh on January 23, 1972. He originally wanted to be a circus clown but ended up an actor instead. He made his acting debut in Scottish comedy Heavenly Pursuits (1986).

Career: Bremner is best known for his portrayal of Spud in Danny Boyle's film adaptation of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting (1996). Since then, he has had roles in Julien Donkey-Boy (1999), Snatch (2000), Pearl Harbor (2001), Black Hawk Down (2001), Alien vs Predator (2004), Around the World in 80 Days (2004), Death at a Funeral (2007), Snowpiercer (2013), Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) and Get Santa (2015).

Quote: 'Whatever I do, it's crucial to me that I give it 100 per cent. It doesn't matter if it's a short film, stage, theatre, TV or blockbuster.'

Trivia: In 1997, he won an Empire Award in the Best Debut category for Trainspotting.

Jonny Lee Miller (Actor) .. Simon

Born: November 15, 1971 in Kingston, Surrey

Best Known For: Trainspotting and Elementary.

Early-life: Born November 15, 1971, in Kingston, Surrey, the son of actor Alan Miller, whose own father was Bernard Lee, best known for playing M in the early Bond films. As a teenager, his shyness didn't stop him becoming a member of the National Youth Music Theatre. He attended Tiffin School, a selective state grammar school for boys, where he acted in their plays. He left at 17 to pursue a showbusiness career.

Career: Made his TV debut in a 1983 adaptation of Mansfield Park. He then had small roles in Itch, Inspector Morse, Keeping Up Appearances, and Prime Suspect 3. He spent a year in EastEnders as Jonathan Hewitt, then made movies Hackers and Trainspotting, which introduced him to a wider audience. Although he hasn't enjoyed the same success as friends Jude Law and Ewan McGregor, Miller remains at the forefront of young British actors. His other credits include Regeneration, Plunkett and Macleane, Love, Honour and Obey, and Byron. Since 2012, he has had a lead role in the American drama Elementary.

Quote: 'I never try to completely do a character, if you know what I mean. I always feel like I'm just being me, but in the character's situation.'

Trivia: On the stage, he has starred in After Miss Julie, and Frankenstein.

Shirley Henderson (Actor) .. Gail

Kelly Macdonald (Actor) .. Diane

Born: February 23, 1976 in Glasgow

Best Known For: Trainspotting

Early-life: Born February 23, 1976, in Glasgow. She has an older brother called David. Her parents split when she was nine. Her mother Patsy (who, bizarrely, has been nicknamed Wee Fat Moll by her daughter) is a stress counsellor. Macdonald dabbled with journalism as a 14-year-old, and had a story published in her local newspaper. Two years later she dropped out of college, but while working in a bar decided to become an actress after serving drama students.

Career: Macdonald thought about going to drama school, but changed her mind when an open audition led to her landing the role of schoolgirl temptress Diane in Trainspotting. Her nude scene with Ewan McGregor brought her lots of attention and led to roles in Stella Does Tricks, Cousin Bette, and Elizabeth. Her most impressive performance to date came in Oscar-winning drama Gosford Park in 2001, alongside the likes of Maggie Smith and Michael Gambon. She will be seen on the big screen later this year with Colin Farrell in Intermission, and Johnny Depp in Neverland.

Quote: On Trainspotting's nude scene: 'I can't imagine my life if I hadn't done it. It was part of my youth.'

Trivia: Trainspotting (1996) was released on Macdonald's 20th birthday.

Gordon Kennedy (Actor) .. Tulloch

Anjela Nedyalkova (Actor) .. Veronika

Danny Boyle (Director)

12:10 am - 02:30 am, Tuesday, May 12 on Film4 +1 (47)

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