Ewan McGregor has said directing that his first movie was a “life-changing experience”
The Scottish actor was speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival, which hosted the world premiere of American Pastoral, an adaptation of Philip Roth's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
45-year-old McGregor directs and stars in the film, which also also features Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Connelly and former child star Dakota Fanning.
The film sees him play a father whose seemingly perfect life is torn apart when his teenage daughter goes into hiding, after she is accused of an act of political terrorism in 1960s America.
Speaking to Deadline, McGregor said the movie had “tugged at his heart strings” because of the focus on a father-daughter relationship.
“It was a life-changing experience,” he said, “I felt like absolutely when we were making the film, I realised my life was different because of it."
“We'd be on set, we'd rehearse scenes... it was quite freeing in a way, it was quite weird, we just didn't have a director there,” he said.
“It was an amazing novel and there was something that caught me by the heart strings about the father and the daughter.” he added.
McGregor has previously said he related to the novel because it made him think about his eldest daughter leaving home.
“She's 20 now and at college in New York City, and she's left the home, he said, “She's still totally a part of our lives, but she's not living under our roof on a daily basis”.
“It’s that feeling of loss, the sand is slipping through your fingers, and things will never be the same again”.
American Pastoral is released in Irish cinemas in November.
