Thank you, Noel Gallagher, for teaching Ewan McGregor to lightsaber fight
Film Features Noel Gallagher
Stunt coordinator and performer Nick Gillard has had a pretty exciting career, nabbing credits on such iconic films as Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, Aliens, and the Star Wars prequel films. But despite the years of hard work he spent training the cast of George Lucas’ second trilogy, Ewan McGregor is out here telling Jimmy Kimmel that none other than Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher taught young Obi-Wan how to lightsaber. Sorry, Nick, maybe wake us when you wrote “Wonderwall.”
Appearing via force projection video chat to promote his upcoming Netflix series Halston and the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ show, Ewan McGregor gave a rundown of his first impromptu lightsaber training at Noel Gallagher’s 30th birthday party back in the 90s. Less of a lesson and more of a “battle in the garden,” McGregor recalls a lightsaber duel breaking out but doesn’t remember who won, which probably means Noel did.
“Well, it was Noel Gallagher’s 30th birthday party and he lived quite close to me in London, north London,” said McGregor. “And I was at his party and then there was a lightsaber fight in his garden very early the next day in the morning. But I don’t remember too much instruction. I don’t remember any lessons being given by Noel. It was just more of a battle in the garden.”
When prodded by Kimmel for the results of the fight, McGregor said, “I would be surprised if either of us could remember that.”
If this is the first you’re hearing of Noel’s time as Ewan’s Jedi master, it stems from a long-running rumor that Gallagher addressed in an interview with StarWars.com in 2018. And, unlike McGregor’s diplomatic “I don’t remember who won,” Noel gives us the goods.
StarWars.com: Which brings me on to something quite important, because many people out there believe that Yoda and maybe Qui-Gon Jinn trained a certain Obi-Wan Kenobi, but I’ve heard rumors that it was actually you…
Noel Gallagher: [Laughs] You’ve heard that story then?
SW: I have indeed. Or I should say at least Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan…
NG: So there was a party round at my house in the ‘90s and Ewan came, and he’d just got the part for Star Wars, and I was like, “No way!” I happened to have two lightsabers in the house, so I said, “Right then, in the back garden and show us your skills.”
SW: So was that might have been his first lightsaber fight?
NG: And his last, he was schooled!
Obviously, this is not to take away from the work of Nick Gillard, who delivered on some of the best action sequences in all of Star Wars. (This also wouldn’t be the first time someone else got the credit for a lightsaber fight.) But it’s just kind of a better story with Noel as the trainer. Then again, every lesson is better when a Gallagher is involved. For example, remember the time Paul McCartney taught Noel’s brother Liam about margaritas? In 2017, Liam told NME:
I’ve met [McCartney] a few times he’s been absolutely a dream. The last time was at the Royal Albert Hall. He goes, “Why are you always in a rush? Sit down, sit down.” I sit down and he goes, “Do you like margaritas?” I said, “Yeah, but I had something before I come out, I don’t eat at this time of night.” He said, “They’re fuckin’ drinks, you stupid prick.” I thought he was offering me a pizza.
See? Everything’s better with a Gallagher.
29 Comments
I like this idea of Liam traveling the world and getting called a stupid prick by various old rock stars.
As someone who hung around on the fringes of that north London crowd in the 00’s, and without seeming like a namedropper, I can report Noel was once very nice to me and my pregnant wife at a party when she was overheating/stressed and had a driver of his whisk us off back to ours.He may pretend otherwise but he’s a lovely bloke
Since we’re keeping score, I taught Noel how to fight with lightsabers in 1989. Before that he couldn’t duel worth shite. Those were probably my lightsabers in his house. I forgot them there after a night of ecstasy and Duff beer. Ian Brown and Andy Rourke took me round to his place. Fun night.
McGregor recalls a lightsaber duel breaking out but doesn’t remember who won, which probably means Noel did.
It means they were both drunk on their asses and nobody won.
Yeah, based on what I know about the Gallagher brothers and especially what I know about them from that period of time, I’m shocked anybody at that party remembers they were even there.
Yep and McGregor was also a notorious drinker at that time. He’s even said he’s amazed he didn’t get fired from projects where he’d show up on set in the morning after pulling an all nighter.
Has any Englishman ever fought a duel sober?
probably should’ve found a different guy
“They’re fuckin’ drinks, you stupid prick.”
That doesn’t super sound like Paul McCartney.
Apu introduced me to Paul. We’ve hung out a bunch. Get a few margaritas in him and he can make a sailor blush. He’s definitely not afraid to work blue.
But it does sound like Liam Gallagher telling the story about meeting Paul McCartney. (I’m guessing he was paraphrasing.)
You can take the boy out of Liverpool, but you can’t take Liverpool out of the boy. I particularly enjoyed his description of Jeff Lynne on a documentary about Lynne. “…fun, shy, ever so clever, a great musician and a total twat.”
Oh well, you never what a bloke is really like with no microphones around!
It for sure sounds like how Liam Gallagher would remember Paul McCartney.
‘Ee’s a nice old man, in’t ‘ee? ‘Ee’s very clean!
‘Ee’s a mixer.
A bloomin’ booook?!
Noel actually just beat Ewan with a bat. Because I can see that happening.
“Okay, do you have the plastic light saber I gave you?”“Yes, let’s fight!”*BAM*
An annoyingly charming man with fan-fucking-tastic hair.
Sir, the Patrick Duffy thread is down the hall.
“Two there should be. No more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it.” — The Oasis Story
Darth Liam, Lord of Petulance
So you’ve met my 2-year-old grandson, Liam.
Every lesson is demonstrably not better when a Gallagher is involved, as they are both pigshit-thick homophobic chuckleheads who dropped a massive dog egg on British music.
“Also, my brother Liam is a complete fucking cunt.” – Noel Gallagher, unprompted.
“He’s a man with a fork in a world of soup.” – Actual quote from Noel, on brother Liam.
“YOU WERE MY BROTHER, LIAM!!!! I LOVED YOU!!!”