Paramount+'s Forgotten 8-Part Historical Drama Shows Ewan McGregor At His Finest

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Published Jul 16, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT

Laura Hurley has been writing about the entertainment industry for more than twelve years, after a decade as a content producer and editor at CinemaBlend after writing for WhatCulture and Examiner. Attending events like SCAD TVfest and San Diego Comic-Con over the course of her career, she has been immersed in the world of network, streaming, and cable TV.

Ewan McGregor has had a long and successful career in both film and television going back to the early '90s, but there are a few roles that he's widely known for. In addition to getting his big break via 1996's Trainspotting, McGregor has been playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars since 1999, and his star-making turn in Moulin Rouge proved that he could be a leading man outside the galaxy far, far away. An entirely different project shows him at his best, despite not getting the recognition it deserved at the time: Paramount+'s A Gentleman in Moscow.

The actor, who was previously more renowned for his film work than television, moved over to the small screen in 2017 for FX's Fargo, for which he was nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series Emmy in 2017. He won the Emmy in that category in 2021, for his role as Halston in Halston. Obi-Wan Kenobi, his highly-anticipated Star Wars show, joined A Gentleman in Moscow in premiering in 2022.

Despite a string of successes with Fargo and Halston, A Gentleman in Moscow largely flew under the radar. An adaptation of the novel of the same name by Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow picks up in 1921 with McGregor as Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, who lost his title after the Bolshevik revolution. That didn't mean losing all of his comforts, however, as he was sentenced to house arrest for life at the Metropol Moscow in Russia, and the story followed Rostov over decades within the halls of the hotel.

Ewan McGregor's Performance In A Gentleman In Moscow Deserved More Attention

Ewan McGregor as Alexander Rostov in A Gentleman in Moscow

The fundamental premise of A Gentleman in Moscow meant that the majority of the show would be set in the same location, even as the eight episodes spanned more than 30 years of Rostov's life in Russia. There were only so many characters that could circulate in and out, which meant that the quality of the series largely depended on the leading man's performance. If Ewan McGregor couldn't deliver a truly compelling performance, watching all eight episodes could have been a slog. Instead, McGregor's performance was the anchor that the show needed.

Joined by former Fargo costar Mary Elizabeth Winstead, McGregor proved that he was not a one-hit wonder as a period drama actor after Halston. The emotional ride that Rostov experienced over the decades was made all the more poignant when he became the father figure to Sofia, the daughter of a woman he'd known as a little girl in the hotel. McGregor spent eight episodes building to the emotional climax in the ending of A Gentleman in Moscow.

It's possible that some of the buzz that should have the limited series was lost due to Obi-Wan Kenobi, which premiered on Disney+ less than two weeks after A Gentleman in Moscow wrapped in May 2024. The Star Wars series was hyped as McGregor's big return to the franchise, along with Hayden Christensen's. Even though Obi-Wan Kenobi's Rotten Tomatoes score was significantly lower than A Gentleman in Moscow's Rotten Tomatoes totals, the hype surrounding the live-action Star Wars series easily eclipsed McGregor's work in the period drama.

Why A Gentleman In Moscow Is Still Worth Watching

Ewan McGregor as Alexander Rostov and Alexa Goodall as Nina in A Gentleman in Moscow

As a period drama, A Gentleman in Moscow ages quite well, since there's no risk of a show set from the 1920s-1950s will feel dated in 2026. Ewan McGregor's performance is reason enough to watch the limited series, whether viewers read the book that inspired the series or not. One doesn't need to be an expert in 20th century Russian politics to follow the story.

The show is also available streaming in full with a Paramount+ subscription, which is a benefit to new viewers compared to those who watched when A Gentleman in Moscow was originally releasing in 2024. Ewan McGregor's series released new episodes weekly, rather than dropping all eight at once. With each episode running for less than an hour, it's entirely possible to binge-watch .

Plus, as an adaptation of a standalone novel, viewers can go into the show without worrying about a massive cliffhanger that could only be resolved via a second season. A Gentleman in Moscow deserved more attention when it originally aired, two years ago, but there's no reason why new audiences can enjoy it in 2026.