Simple and to the point thread: who’d you like better as Obi Wan, and why?
I think McGregor did a better job. He had a harder role as well. He had to play a major part in 3 movies and emulate Alec Guiness’s voice and mannerisms. Guiness was pretty good, but McGregor was better.
Well, I haven’t seen them all (seeing Episode III sometime soon), but right now my take is for Ewan.
And no, it has nothing to do with the major crush I had on him a few years ago! Nothing at all! 
Ewan’s a terrific actor, but his greatest gifts (spontaneity, devilish sense of play) are routinely smothered in the Star Wars movies. He’s way too humorless, which plays against his strengths (which could actually be said about a lot of the prequel casting).
Guinness, no contest.
I don’t think it’s really a fair question. Alec Guiness, while an incredible actor without doubt, didn’t really have all that much to do in the original trilogy. A little cryptic advice, hand over the lightsaber, fight like an old man, and then some more cryptic advice.
Ewan McGregor had a great deal more to do … and he had to impersonate Sir Alec while he did it. He positively channeled him, and while I think Ewan could have done a better job with better dialogue, that’s certainly not his fault. ArchiveGuy is right about the part not playing to his strengths, and that’s a shame, without a doubt. But I don’t think the two performances can really be compared.
Another vote for Ewan, for all the reasons already mentioned. Before the first movie, I wondered how he would live up to Alec Guinness. As I left the third movie yesterday, I thought about popping the original trilogy into the DVD player to see if I buy Alec as Obi Wan.
Partly because of the demands of each part, it’s an unfair comparison though. Alec had to play a benevolent wizened old man, while Ewan had to play it more physical. I don’t know if I will still buy the wizened old man bit now that I know how much ass he kicked.
Ewan wins for me, mostly because coughhe’shotcough he had the most screen time, plain and simple. Sir Alec Guinness was a stellar actor but he just didn’t have the same amount of Obi-Wan to play as Ewan did.
I think Ewan was the best of the principle actors in the prequels. But the elder Obi Wan character is so much more interesting.
And Guiness played the whole “I’ve watched all my friends die and now I have one last quest before I get to die, too” angle perfectly.
Guiness just had so much gravitas in the original SW.
Guiness by a mile, but no shame for Ewan.
As I’ve said elsewhere, I think Ewan is the best actor in the entire series. Alec Guiness simply didn’t have as much to do.
I completely agree. Guiness will always be who I associate in my mind to the character. I think Lucas agrees too since at the end of RotJ when luke sees the glowing forms of yoda, obiwan and anakin we see the young hayden and the old alec represent their characters.
It’s not the quantity, it’s the quality. Ewan’s no slouch, but you get a greater sense of deep spirituality and conviction in New Hope from Sir Alec than in the entire set of prequels with his younger incarnation. IMHO, the only Jedi that can come close to Guinness’s well-rounded, sincere & centered characterization is Liam Neeson–he truly comes across as a man passionate about his faith, while all the other Jedis are stiff, self-serious sticks-in-the-mud.
Lucas would have had an easier time replacing some no name character actor. If he had replaced an Academy Award winner, there may have been riots in the streets of Hollywood!
Ewan was most assuredly the best actor in Eps I - III.
And, I think he was a great choice for the younger Obiwan in an after the casting of Alec fact way. I can actually see him growing old and becoming Alec.
As for who did Obi better, I can’t join in the discussion. I think they both played their version of him perfectly.
I love them both in the role actually. Sir Alec will always be the definitive Obi Wan to me, but Ewan amazes me in movie after movie in which I see him. He was the only reason that I went to see “Sith”. Don’t get me started on Hayden Christenson…
Ewan owns the role.
This is coming from someone who’s a serious fan of Alec Guinness’ entire body of work. I’ve seen most of his films, except the harder-to-find BBC stuff.
As I said in the Sith thread, what impresses me the most about his performance is how elegantly he balances matching a '50s era Guinness with the old man’s performance as Obi Wan.
He gave what is certainly an Oscar-worthy performance. (Of course, Star Wars movies aren’t expected to win Oscars for acting – but Ewan’s chops would have the Academy falling all over themselves if they were in the context of an Alec Guinness biopic.) It would be fitting if Ewan at least received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his work in Revenge of the Sith, like Sir Alec did for Star Wars. I’d like to see him take it home, but I don’t have my hopes up, natch.
Spectacular work.
I’m more interested in having sex with Ewan . . .
It’s too hard for me to compare acting between one of the main characters in the prequels with someone who had a fairly minor role in the original trilogy.
Since McGregor spent the whole time trying - successfully, I thought - to play the part like a younger Alec Guinness would’ve play it, I don’t think it’s a good comparison. Guinness is the definitive Obi-Wan and McGregor worked within those bounds. I do agree that he was the best thing in the prequels, though.
Exactly right. Ewan nailed that part… and I think that Sir Alec, were he still around, would agree.