When Ewan McGregor first met Mary Elizabeth Winstead on the set of the FX series 害羞草研究所淔argo害羞草研究所� in 2016, he couldn害羞草研究所檛 deny the chemistry that crackled between them.

害羞草研究所淲e didn害羞草研究所檛 know each other but there was an incredible connection in our work instinct. We just knew how to play these scenes almost without rehearsing,害羞草研究所� the actor says on a video call from New York.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 always felt like that.害羞草研究所�

McGregor and Winstead, who were both married to other people at the time, found their on-screen spark translated to real life. They tied the knot in April 2022 and share a two-year-old son. But the couple were eager to work together again.

So when McGregor was offered the lead in Paramount Plus害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淎 Gentleman in Moscow,害羞草研究所� an adaptation of Amor Towles害羞草研究所� 2016 novel of the same name that premieres Friday, he encouraged Winstead to audition for the series as well.

害羞草研究所淸Ewan] was reading the book to get more of a sense of the world, and he just started looking at me and going, 害羞草研究所極ooh, there害羞草研究所檚 a woman in this book that害羞草研究所檚 very interesting and you should take a look at it,害羞草研究所� Winstead says during an interview in Toronto.

害羞草研究所淪o I started reading the book as well and really fell in love with the role, fell in love with the world, fell in love with the writing.害羞草研究所�

Directed by Sam Miller, 害羞草研究所淎 Gentleman in Moscow害羞草研究所� follows 20th century count Alexander Rostov, played by McGregor, who is forced to reinvent himself after being sentenced to a lifetime of house arrest at a lavish hotel in the wake of the Russian Revolution.

Winstead plays Anna Urbanova, a glamorous actress who becomes romantically involved with Rostov while staying at the hotel.

害羞草研究所淎side from being each other害羞草研究所檚 partners, we love acting with one another,害羞草研究所� says Winstead.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 nobody I find more fun to act opposite than Ewan because he just brings so much out of me. He害羞草研究所檚 so charming and fun and he has such a spark and energy to him that害羞草研究所檚 infectious.害羞草研究所�

Still, Winstead says it was difficult filming some of the series害羞草研究所� more emotionally weighty scenes with someone she害羞草研究所檚 so close to in real life.

害羞草研究所淗aving it be so connected and so true with my real-life partner, sometimes in my head I害羞草研究所檇 be going, 害羞草研究所楴o, don害羞草研究所檛 cry, stop crying, just stop!害羞草研究所� It was harder to control because I did feel so much so naturally.害羞草研究所�

McGregor says reading the script for 害羞草研究所淎 Gentleman in Moscow害羞草研究所� gave him the same feeling as when he read the script for his 1996 breakthrough 害羞草研究所淭rainspotting.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲hen they gave me the script for 害羞草研究所楾rainspotting,害羞草研究所� they said, 害羞草研究所榃e害羞草研究所檙e not offering you the role. We just want to know what you think.害羞草研究所� And when I read that script and that character Mark Renton, I knew that it was the role of a lifetime. And I felt very similar with this.害羞草研究所�

Though the series is a period piece, McGregor says it feels pertinent to today害羞草研究所檚 world in light of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

害羞草研究所淭he backdrop of our story is the revolution that led Russia to where we are today, to (President Vladmir) Putin. We started mounting the series before Putin invaded Ukraine, but it happened while we were making this show and it felt terribly relevant.害羞草研究所�

Winstead adds that through the series, 害羞草研究所渨e see the building blocks害羞草研究所� for where Russia is currently.

害羞草研究所淲e get to see how there were people at that time who believed in a better Russia and maybe had good intentions, and to see how a dictator can take those good intentions and turn them into something nefarious,害羞草研究所� she says.

害羞草研究所淚 think that害羞草研究所檚 really heartbreaking to see some of the characters in the show start out from a place where they think they害羞草研究所檙e doing something for the greater good and have that be squandered.害羞草研究所�

Winstead says that after filming such heavy scenes, she and McGregor were 害羞草研究所渁lways pretty ready to get home and shed the vintage clothes and have dinner with our son and give him a bath and crash.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e didn害羞草研究所檛 stay in character (at home) but we would run our lines together for sure,害羞草研究所� laughs McGregor, adding he would often be learning lines after putting their son to bed, because Rostov is 害羞草研究所渁 very wordy character.害羞草研究所�

One aspect of Rostov that McGregor couldn害羞草研究所檛 shed at home was his formidable moustache, which the actor insisted on growing naturally rather than opting for prosthetics.

害羞草研究所淎 stuck-on moustache is always going to be restrictive because you can害羞草研究所檛 really move your face properly with one on. If you move your face, it starts lifting off and it害羞草研究所檚 something that you end up thinking about,害羞草研究所� he says.

害羞草研究所淭he count is not thinking about his moustache, so I didn害羞草研究所檛 want to be either.害羞草研究所�

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