Ewan McGregor has lashed out at "parasitical lowlifes" who ask him to sign their Star Wars memorabilia.

The Scottish actor - who played the role of the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars Episodes I, II and III - was asked in an interview with Details magazine if he had had any positive experiences with Star Wars fans.

Ewan replied: "I don't have any experience with them. I've never been to one of the conventions. The people I meet are the f***ers who want me to sign Star Wars photos so they can sell them on the internet or the people at premieres who are crushing children against barriers to get me to sign their f***ing picture of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"They're not fans - they're parasitical lowlifes and f***ing w***ers."

Star Wars fans have already hit back on Twitter.

Colin Dorman wrote: "Talk about biting the hand that feeds you," while Chris Gill tweeted: "Wow man I thought ewan mcgregor was better than that."

Others were a lot more colourful with their language.

The Trainspotting star was also asked if he would defend Episode I: The Phantom Menace against the heavy criticism directed at it, or if he agreed it is the worst of the Star Wars films.

Ewan said: "I watched it once, at the premiere, so I'm not in a good position to judge. They had a tall order, the three films I did. The fans waited so long and wanted to feel like they did when they watched the first film, but they were grown-ups by that time. I don't mind the criticism. I've heard it to my face."

Asked if he'd ever made a film just for the money, the 43-year-old actor replied: "There have been films I've done where I've been very happy to have reached my last day on set, but not many. And I've never started a film with anything other than enthusiasm."

And Ewan also insisted he had put behind him any bad feeling he had for director Danny Boyle when he replaced him with Leonardo DiCaprio in The Beach.

He said: "It was an unfortunate situation, and it wasn't handled well. I was very upset. But time has gone by, and we put to bed the bad feelings and all of that s***."