As one of Britain’s highest-paid film stars, Ewan McGregor is used to a life of luxury. But he threw it all away recently and spent ten days roughing it in the tropical jungle of the Mosquito Coast, a six-hour trip from civilisation by helicopter – weather permitting.
“I just about lost the will to live,” reminisced the Scottish actor, who had just finished filming Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones when he was whisked off to Central America by TV survival expert Ray Mears. “It was so wet and miserable. I was eaten alive by insects and there were times when it was pouring with rain and freezing cold and I was thinking, ‘What on Earth am I doing here?’”
The 30-year-old, who can be currently seen on British cinema screens opposite Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge, had to carry a 40lb rucksack through knee-deep mud, as well as braving whitewater rapids in an inflatable raft, while all the time trying to dodge some of the most venomous snakes and insects on the planet.
“I had never been in a rainforest before without staying in a hotel,” continued Ewan. “I wanted the real deal – ten days with no home comforts. But I was soon dreaming about putting on some nice, clean, warm socks and a dry shirt, and nipping down the road for some pizza and Coke. But I’m going home a calmer person. I’ve left lots of troubles behind in the jungle.”
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
