Ewan McGregor is surprised by the popularity of the 'Star Wars' prequel trilogy.

The 49-year-old actor played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the sci-fi films, and he's noticed that the conversation surrounding the trilogy has evolved over recent years.

He said: ''You know, our films weren't much liked when they came out, by my generation who loved the first ones.

''I think people of our generation wanted to feel the way they'd felt when they saw those first three movies when they were kids, and George [Lucas] wanted to take our ones in a different direction, he had a different idea. It was tricky at the time, I remember.

''But now, all these years later, I'm really aware of what our films meant to the generation they were made for, the children of that time.''

Ewan confessed to being surprised by the popularity of the movies among a certain generation of fans.

He told Empire: ''They really like them.

''I've met people who, they mean a lot to them, those films, more so than the original three, and I'm like, 'Are you kidding?''

Meanwhile, Ewan recently insisted he doesn't worry about being spotted by fans.

The actor claimed his day-to-day life is relatively normal, as he's barely recognised when he's out and about.

The movie star - who now lives in Los Angeles, having previously lived in London - shared: ''My life is that I am an actor and I am recognised for some of my work, here and there, but it's not all the time.''