Trainspotting (film) discussing which chapters of the book would and would not translate into film. Hodge finished the first draft by December. Macdonald secured financing from Channel 4, a British television station known for funding independent films. Pre-production began in April 1995. Ewan McGregor was cast after impressing Boyle and Macdonald with his work on their previous film, "Shallow Grave". According to Boyle, for the role of Renton, they wanted the quality of Michael Caine's character in "Alfie" and Malcolm McDowell's character in "A Clockwork Orange", "repulsive ... with charm "that makes you feel deeply ambiguous about what he's doing." McGregor shaved
Ewan McGregor Also around this time, McGregor played two roles — one a clone of the other — opposite Scarlett Johansson in Michael Bay's science fiction action thriller film "The Island". He also headlined Marc Forster's 2005 film "Stay" (both 2005), a psychological thriller co-starring Naomi Watts and Ryan Gosling. He narrated the Fulldome production "Astronaut" (2006), created for the National Space Centre. Around the same time, he also narrated the STV show "JetSet" (also 2006), a six-part series following the lives of trainee pilots and navigators at RAF Lossiemouth as they undergo a gruelling six-month course learning to fly the Tornado