Esther McGregor on Venice Films ‘Room Next Door,’ ‘Babygirl,’ and Bonding with Ewan

Esther McGregor was convinced she’d botched her audition for Pedro Almodovar’s eagerly awaited English-language debut, “The Room Next Door.”

While shooting a short film and not feeling her best, the multifaceted actress, musician, and tattoo artist, also an unabashedly proud “Nepo Baby,” didn’t give her audition the usual level of care. She quickly read the lines and emailed her recording.

“Two minutes after I sent the tape, I double-checked the details, saw Almodovar’s name, and thought, ‘Oh my God, I butchered it, I ruined my opportunity!’” McGregor recalls from Nova Scotia on a day off from filming Amazon’s upcoming mini-series “You Were Liars.”

Oddly, her worries were unfounded. About three months later, with no feedback, she received a call saying the part, which placed her alongside Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, was hers.

McGregor was on the set of another film, A24’s “Babygirl,” directed by Halina Reijn and starring Nicole Kidman and Antonio Banderas, when she found out. Knowing Banderas’ close working relationship with Almodovar, she shared the news with him.

“So when I told him I got the part, he was like, ‘No way!’” McGregor recounts. Naturally, the two took a selfie and sent it to Almodovar.

“It was such a strange experience,” she says. “I had to triple-check to be sure it was real. I went back to watch my audition tape and thought, ‘Okay, it wasn’t that bad.’”

Despite playing minor roles in both “Babygirl” and “The Room Next Door,” McGregor, at just 22, has the rare honor of having two films screening in competition in Venice. These films are among the year’s most anticipated premieres.

“The Room Next Door,” Almodovar’s first English-language feature, is a comedic family drama about a “very imperfect mother and her resentful daughter” living separate lives due to a profound misunderstanding. “Babygirl” is a steamy erotic thriller where Kidman’s character, a powerful CEO, begins an affair with a younger intern, played by Harris Dickinson.

In “Babygirl,” McGregor plays the “grungy” teenage daughter of Kidman and Banderas, a role that brought personal reflections.

“A lot of my personal life and family dynamics strangely replicated themselves on screen,” she explains. Her character’s age mirrored her own when her father, Ewan McGregor, had a very public split from her mother, Eve Mavrakis.

“At that age, you start to realize your parents are human, they make mistakes,” she notes. “It was interesting to revisit that period from a different perspective. I’m 22 now, and all that family drama happened when I was 16. With newfound understanding and closure, I found a new voice for this character.”

McGregor admits her relationship with her father was strained after the family breakup, with years of no communication. Interestingly, her first major acting role helped mend their bond.

She always loved acting, spending her childhood on her dad’s sets worldwide. However, her parents never allowed her to pursue child acting. Instead, she explored music and started a band, French Thyme, during COVID-19. She’s also a tattoo artist, previously co-owning a shop in New York City.

Her modeling career began unexpectedly when she moved to New York, leading to fashion shoots and runway modeling. Despite her height of 5’4″, she opened Miu Miu’s 2023 spring/summer show in Milan.

Acting took center stage following a random audition for the Disney+ series “Obi Wan-Kenobi,” featuring her father. Receiving the role helped rekindle her relationship with him.

She played a small role as Tetha Grig, a drug dealer, acting alongside her father for the first time. This experience marked a critical step in their relationship after years of estrangement.

McGregor embraces the “Nepo Baby” badge, acknowledging her father’s influence but insists on her own hard work and talent.

“I recognize the privilege, but I also put in a lot of effort. If I was terrible, it wouldn’t matter who my dad was,” she asserts.

Focusing on acting, McGregor is committed to learning from her experiences. Observing Almodovar’s rehearsal methods and Kidman’s pre-scene meditation has been invaluable for her, even though she isn’t ready to seek her father’s advice just yet.

“I want to figure this out on my own and then share my achievements with him,” she says, valuing the deep insights her father could provide while also cherishing her path to independence.

With modeling taking a backseat, music remaining a personal project, and tattooing on pause, McGregor is channeling all her energy into acting. She’s excited to continue working, driven by her passion for the craft.

Source: Various sources