Ewan McGregor explains why he has a moustache, how daughter Clara could ‘keep her old dad at work’ and why action blockbusters require ‘stamina’

Ewan McGregor discussed blockbuster movies, why he’s currently sporting a mustache and hopefully making more movies with his daughter Clara during a Sunday press conference at the 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival under the direction of Emma Westenberg You sing louder, I sing louderin which the McGregors play opposite each other.

The father and daughter pair both have plans for more collaborations on Sunday. You sing louder, I sing louder premiered at South by Southwest. It’s a dramatic road trip, inspired by the real-life stories of the father-daughter duo. Clara co-wrote the screenplay with Vera Bulder and Ruby Caster. “I’m just anticipating that they’ll be writing me a lot of roles,” Ewan McGregor told the press. “It’s a great way to keep his old dad at work.”

With the actor having moved between tentpoles and smaller indie films over the course of his career, it could also provide insight into some of the differences for the talent. “Some of the biggest action movies are slower,” he said. “It’s an exercise in endurance to keep your performance and acting where you want them to be.” After all, action sequences are often shot in “small moments,” whereas for a smaller film, “when you’ve got a camera following you for three minutes, it’s easier to get lost.” He shared that he was “still always trying to find this feeling in my work. I want it to feel real and truthful.

When asked about moving between small independent films and big studio projects, McGregor said, “If you’re working on an action sequence, it’s (made in) small moments. When you have a camera following you for three minutes (on a smaller film), it’s easier to get lost in it.

She also shared information about her current facial hair. McGregor directed the Paramount+ miniseries A gentleman in Moscow, which has also been producing, in Manchester since the start of the year, with “another month to go,” it said in an update on its progress. Based on a novel by Amor Towles, the series features McGregor as a nobleman held in a hotel room after the Russian Revolution.

His current mustache is for this role, but it changed over the course of filming, McGregor noted. “These are my oldest and smallest mustache,” he explained. “At first (my character) has a big, monstrous, curly one.” McGregor concluded, “You’re seeing the brighter side.”

On Saturday evening, the major Czech film event celebrated the Scottish star with the President’s Award. When McGregor received the statue, he told the Karlovy Vary festival crowd after receiving a raucous welcome: “I’m so lucky to be doing what I love and I love what I do.”

The 57th edition of the festival will conclude on July 8, with its judging panel including Patricia Clarkson.