Danny Boyle

Between 1994 and 1997, England's Danny Boyle made his first three features, all of which starred Ewan McGregor. The most successful of the trilogy was the gritty Trainspotting (1996) -- based on the novel by Irvine Welsh -- about a group of likable, albeit unconscionable, heroin addicts. He debuted in 1994 with the black comedy/Scottish thriller, Shallow Grave and followed Trainspotting with A Life Less Ordinary (1997), another sort of Gen-X film, this time with American actress Cameron Diaz alongside McGregor. Boyle was offered the job to direct the fourth Alien movie, but he passed to make his own Alien Love Triangle (1998). He also served as producer on Twin Town (1997) and Elephant (1989).