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Ewan McGregor says he considered doing heroin as part of Trainspotting research

Ewan McGregor's character Renton was a heroin user and the actor has admitted to considering trying the Class A drug
Ewan McGregor's character Renton was a heroin user and the actor has admitted to considering trying the Class A drug

EWAN McGregor has said he considered doing heroin for his role as drug user Renton in Trainspotting.

During a chat with the Hollywood Reporter alongside director Danny Boyle, author Irvine Welsh and producer Andrew MacDonald, the Scots star revealed he thought about trying the Class A drug as part of his research for the black comedy film, as reported by the Express.

He said: "At first, early on, I thought: how can you play a heroin addict without having taken it? I was young and I thought, f***it, just do it. And also John Hodge, our writer, was a doctor, so I thought he could probably get us some and administer it so we don’t die.

"I thought I’d do it with Danny. I just wanted to get f***** up with Danny. But we didn’t. Because of course as soon as we started the first thing I remember doing was meeting heroin addicts in Glasgow.”

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McGregor recently brought up his consideration with the SmartLess podcast, hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett.

He said: "We went up to Glasgow and we worked with this group of recovering addicts called the Calton Athletic Club.

"They have soccer teams and they have five-a-side competitions. They kicked our a***.

"I didn't do heroin and I've never done it but I did think about it.

"It did cross my mind and I did say to Danny, 'Do you think we should do it?'

"But it just really became apparent that that was a really disrespectful idea to the people we were working with."