UKTV Profiles: DenisLawson

Background Info

Born on September 27 1947, Denis Lawson grew up in the idyllic but somewhat isolated Scottish town of Crieff. An imaginative and creative boy, he grew up with a desire to flee the sticks and lead a bohemian existence. He eventually left for Glasgow in the 1970s, where he fell in with a like-minded crowd of actors and artists. He enrolled at the Royal Scottish Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he became friends with Ian McDiarmid – the man who would play the Emperor in the ‘Star Wars’ movies.

Lawson had enjoyed a few small TV roles when, in 1976, his agent phoned him up and said: ‘I'm sending you a script for this film. Can you start on Monday?’ Lawson read it through, regarded it as childish pap and agreed to do it. After all, it was easy work and the money was good. The film, of course, was ‘Star Wars’, and it changed the face of cinema. It also gave Lawson a huge boost, paving the way for later successes.

Lawson played rebel fighter pilot Wedge Antilles in all three original ‘Star Wars’ movies. The role established Lawson as a cult hero for generations of fans, but he's always been proudest of his later work – such as his portrayal of a sex mad hotel owner in the classic 1983 British film ‘Local Hero’. More recently, Lawson was a treat to watch as the swaggering, arrogant Tom Campbell-Gore in ‘Holby City’.

Lawson 's career has been remarkably free from disasters, embarrassments and boo-boos, but it's probably fair to say that 1976's ‘Rock Follies’ won't go down as one of the finest series of all time. Featuring a pre-‘Star Wars’ Lawson , this comedy about a wannabe rock band is about as dated as rubbishy 70s telly can be!

Lawson is Ewan McGregor 's uncle. The two have worked together on a number of occasions, with Lawson directing his famous nephew in a stage play as well as a 2002 TV film called ‘Solid Geometry’.

It may be his most famous project, but Lawson has always been dismissive of the ‘Star Wars’ trilogy. ‘They were the least important jobs I've ever done,’ he once said. ‘I just sat in a chair and talked. It's ludicrous, but people tell me it changed their lives. I find it bewildering.’