EWAN McGregor’s acting career was launched thanks to a punch in the face the actor took one night in Glasgow.

The star of over fifty films, such as Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge and Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, revealed how being beaten up filled his emotional well with exactly the right recall.

“Just after I left school, and before I got the chance to go to drama college, I went to a party in Glasgow with a bunch of schoolmates,” says the Crieff-born star.

“When I was on the train, this bloke bumped into a hand rail with his face, and, as a joke I said ‘Watch you don’t hit the rail.’

“But he didn’t think this was funny at all. And as we got off the train, he and his mates chased me and I was punched hard on the face. I got up and tried to run but he punched my again as I was running and I was laid out flat.

“When I got to the party I was bleeding all over my face, but I tried to shrug it off, as you do when you’re 16. But it really hurt inside. I was really upset and angry about the whole thing.”

A short time later, Ewan was practising his audition speech for drama college. And he asked actor uncle Denis Lawson to offer advice.

“I just wasn’t getting this speech at all,” Ewan recalls. “I just didn’t seem to really know what acting was all about and the speech called for me to play a really angry person.

“At this point Denis asked me to recall the punch in the face in Glasgow. He asked me to describe how it really felt.

“So I launched into this list of sweary words ( he repeats several and it’s clear he really was affected by the beating) and then began my speech.

“And it was great. I felt a lightbulb going on in my head. I sort of knew that was what acting was all about.”

On leaving drama college in London, Ewan landed couple of major television roles but after movies such as Shallow Grave and Trainspotting his career as a film star was all but secured.

He has gone on to make 56 films, and he’s still only forty four.

“I’ve been really lucky,” he says, with genuine modesty in his voice. “And I’ve been able to work on some great scripts.”

Ewan’s latest movie however represents a real challenge. He’s playing Jesus in The Last Days In The Desert.

Launched at the Edinburgh Film Festival this week, Ewan admits he was ‘daunted’ by the idea of playing the Son of God.

“Just how do you play the Son of Christ,” he says, shaking his head. “It was such an overwhelming prospect. I read all sorts of books about him, about how others interpreted him, but in the end I had to go with how I felt he would be.

“And because a big part of this film is about Jesus trying to work out his relationship with his father, then I played him as this confused questioning character.”

He adds; “I’ve got a great relationship with my own dad, but as a teenager you find yourself at odds with your parents and asking questions. I drew from that experience.”

In the film, McGregor also plays the Devil (Is he Jesus’s alter ego?).

“I found the Devil a little easier to play,” he says, grinning.

The film was shot in Southern California but Ewan admits it’s ironic he now lives in Los Angeles.

“They don’t really make movies there any longer,” says the father of four daughters.

“Every film I make is shot in another part of the world.”

McGregor, who played Obi Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars films, admits he’s disappointed he wasn’t asked to appear in the upcoming movie.

“I’m sure it will be fantastic, but I do want to come back to Star Wars and I think there’s a way this could be achieved.

“There’s a time gap between the third and fourth movies, between my appearance as Obi Wan Kenobi and Alec Guinness’s departure which could be filled in and if they want me to do that I will.”

There is every chance Ewan will reprise his role in Trainspotting, the cult 1986 film which also starred Bobby Carlyle.

Ewan confirmed he’s ‘dead keen’ to step back into the soiled trainers of his drug-raddled character, Renton.

“It will be fascinating to see what’s happened to the characters in that time.

“I was in Edinburgh in the past year and I found myself going round all the old location spots and it was fantastic. It really made me miss the film and appreciate what it meant to me at the time.”

The major stumbling block Irvine Welsh classic was the rift between McGregor and director Danny Boyle.

The pair made four films together, but the partnership became rancorous after Boyle chose Leonardo Di Caprio to play the starring role in Boyle-directed movie, The Beach.

However, the relationship with the Trainspotting director is back on track.

“I’ve seen Danny quite a few times, and it was great,” he says, offering a pleased smile.

“I wouldn’t have thought about making Trainspotting 2 ten years ago but time is a great healer. And about three years I realised I would do it. I missed Danny. We were friends. And I’d love the chance to come back to Scotland to work.”