The first time Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead filmed a scene together, they were mostly naked in a bathtub. Wearing a wig that was as unflattering as possible, McGregor was sticking out as much of his gut as possible.
“You were just trying to be as grotesque as possible.” Winstead said kindly.
On a recent afternoon in the chilly basement of a Midtown hotel, McGregor and Winstead sat on a loveseat, his jacket draped over her shoulder and his hand on her knee. They met on the set of the third season of 'Fargo' in 2017, co-starring as hapless parole officer Ray Stussy and his conniving lover Nikki Swango. (McGregor also played Ray's twin, Emmit Stussy.) Two years later, in 2019, they filmed “Birds of Prey” but did not share any scenes. They are also participants in the “Star Wars” franchise, including McGregor in the '90s and 2000s films and Winstead in the more recent “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series and “Ahsoka.” But again, no footage was shared. In 2021, Winstead gave birth to a son. The following year they were married.
Now they are reunited on screen for “A Gentleman from Moscow,” which premieres Friday on Paramount+ and debuts Sunday on Showtime. The adaptation of Amor Towles' novel stars McGregor as Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, a mustachioed nobleman sentenced to house arrest in a luxury hotel in the years following the Russian Revolution. Winstead appears as Anna Urbanova, an actress and sometimes girlfriend of the count. Anyway, they live their lives within the confines of the hotel.
Over an hour-long conversation in a somewhat more modest hotel than Moscow's Metropol, they discussed claustrophobia, beards, and the pros and cons of working with spouses. This is an edited excerpt from the conversation.
<모스크바의 신사>How did you get involved?
Ewan McGregor It came to me first. I loved the grand nature of the drama, the love and loss, and the romance. It seems like getting a chance to play those things is becoming more and more rare. At its heart, it is a story about a man learning how to be a husband, learning how to be a father, and crawling out of his ideas of an aristocratic way of life to find who he truly is.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead You shamelessly implied that there were some great female characters out there. As I read her book, I thought, 'Oh my God, what a wonderful, fun opportunity to play her.' But I was very tentative. Because all I wanted to do was try to get the part and then have someone think I was trying to get something out of marrying you. I just wanted to quietly say, “I think it’s a good role if you think I’m a good fit.”
Did you ever worry that filming in these few hotel rooms would feel claustrophobic?
McGregor It should have felt that way. It should feel like that. Focus the magnifying glass on this letter.
Winstead This is one of the biggest advantages of confined spaces. It's exciting because as an actor, there's nowhere else to go but words. It's nice to know that will be the focus rather than the fireworks.
Did you grow your own mustache?
McGregor I had to do it. Her mustache couldn't stay on. I've tried it before, but it's very uncomfortable to wear. All you have to do is come in in the morning, shave, and apply glue to your shaved skin. [expletive] Horrible. Then you glue it on so your face doesn't move. The last thing you want to think about when acting is not moving. So I raised my own.
During the strike, I didn't know when I would return, so I just grew a beard. Because you don't want a mustache in real life. I mean, if you like mustaches, yes, but I don't.
Tell us about Alexander.
McGregor He is a nobleman. He enjoyed the high life of his class at the time. Then he was taken away during the revolution. He survived, but the other half was destroyed. So he was somewhat lost.
So what about Anna? Is she a good actress?
Winstead Anna believes she is. I think she takes it very seriously. She is something positive in her life that gives her a sense of purpose. Even though she may not always be a star, she's there to stay. It must be something important.
They had a wonderful meeting when the Count tamed Anna's Russian Wolfhound. What was their initial attraction?
Winstead I immediately found him very interesting. The way he treated my dog sparked a bit of a spark. Our reunion makes me even more excited. Then hearing stories about him and finding out that he was locked up in this hotel made the mystery interesting to me, a woman who gets easily bored by most men around her. There are many more consequences over time.
I love how long it takes. It takes years of a relationship for them to realize that they are in love. There is something beautiful about that slow progress. Especially for Anna. She resists the feeling. But it hit her like a wave.
I understand you didn't know each other before “Fargo.” By the way, Mary, is it true that you had a crush on him when you were a teenager?
Winstead The problem is that if you were a teenager when 'Trainspotting' and 'Moulin Rouge' came out, I don't think you would have been aware of them. But there were no posters on my wall. I didn't write his name down in my notebook.
Okay, that sounds really creepy. What was it like working together on ‘Fargo’?
Winstead We loved it.
McGregor We did. This was truly an amazing article. I think there were two dramas because I played two characters. But our storyline was amazing. To play Ray and Nikki, they're a really great pair, a great partnership, a really great odd couple.
Winstead I remember meeting Noah. [Hawley, the showrunner] My only question was, “Does she really love him?” And he said, “Yes.” And that made playing a grifter with a heart, as cheesy as it sounds, that much more interesting. It's much more fun to have something real at the center of it all.
Mary, earlier you mentioned the downsides of working together. The problem is that people may think you were offered the role for reasons other than talent.
Winstead Of course, there will always be that one person on the internet who makes that comment. But I feel safe enough not to worry because I know that people want to work with me. When we first got together, I tried to get a role in something he was starring in. They were worried that we would bring some kind of drama to the set, but since we're not very dramatic people, we thought it was very funny. But you have to take your time and process it. Now it's clear that we're a pretty healthy couple and we don't go around breaking vases. Other than that, the really nice thing is that people who know us and like our work are happy and excited to get us together every now and then. This is really fortunate for us.
McGregor If you actually do it, there are no downsides. It's great to work together, work together, and come home together. I think it would be really nice.
How was it like working together this time?
McGregor It was a lot more fun to play out all the chilly stuff at the beginning of the story. After they spend the night together, she won't talk to him or even look at him.
Winstead Then later, when things got deeper, I got very emotional. I can't talk about it without crying. It was just all there and it was amazing. It's like, 'Oh, I'm in front of my partner.' So let me wash away all those feelings.
Did you like that guy with the mustache?
Winstead You see, I did. I was like that for a long time. But I was starting to miss his face underneath.
Are you going to work together again?
Winstead I do not know.
McGregor (simultaneously) Yes!
Winstead We hope so too. It's about finding the right beautiful thing.