Ewan McGregor 'had mole removed'

Ewan McGregor says he's fine after surgery to remove a mole Ewan McGregor interview

Actor Ewan McGregor has said he had a mole removed from his face after a doctor found "a little skin cancer" under his eye.

The star revealed details about his operation while talking about new erotic thriller, Deception.

He said that he is now fine, and "it was not that big of a deal".

He said: "I just went to have them checked, you have to be careful if you're pale skinned and you spend time in the sun, with moles.

"So I went to see a specialist who thought they were better to be removed and indeed he was correct."

The actor is probably best known for succeeding Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi in three successive Star Wars films.

But his career goes back over a decade, with his first major role in 1994 thriller Shallow Grave.

Two years later he entered the public consciousness as Renton in Danny Boyle's Trainspotting.

Loner role

For his role as a loner in Deception Ewan McGregor said he enjoyed spending time on his own.

He said: "We were doing mainly half days half nights, I kind of enjoyed this strange time-frame.

As Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

"I was living alone in New York and I'd be getting up at one, having my breakfast at 1.30 in the afternoon, and my lunch at eight.

"So my down time off the film I spent just kind of wandering around on my own. It was nice, I really liked it."

This may have had something to do with the fact that he was able to walk around in New York without being approached by people recognising him.

He said: "Nobody really bothers very much there. It's something that's part of my life anyway, I didn't notice it so much there really."

Epic journey

The actor is still a motorbike fan after completing a 15,000 mile motorbike journey from Scotland to South Africa last year with fellow actor Charley Boorman.

He doesn't rule out a future challenge but for the moment he's keen to get back to the business of making films.

With Charley Boorman at the end of their Long Way Down trip

One project that's in the pipeline is I Love You Phillip Morris co-starring Jim Carey.

McGregor isn't impressed that some people have already dubbed it 'Brokeback Prison'.

He said: "That's putting it in a box before it's even started being made.

"It's a story about two men who are in love, so in that respect - Brokeback Mountain was a film about two men who are in love. There the similarity ends, I would say."

Deception is released nationwide on 25 April.