Kevin McKidd on spending 15 years in LA with Grey’s Anatomy

Running down Princes Street in Edinburgh in the opening moments of his new TV drama Six Four felt like coming full circle for Kevin McKidd. 

He found fame 27 years ago in the cult drug movie Trainspotting, in which the iconic opening scene sees Ewan McGregor sprinting down the same street.

Although he wasn’t in that scene, Kevin was a pivotal member of Trainspotting’s ensemble cast as Tommy, the curly-haired childhood mate of Ewan’s character Renton who meets a tragic end. 

‘In a strange way that scene definitely felt like a call back to Trainspotting,’ he says. ‘But that was right at the start of my career, and this time it was tough to stop people getting into the shot because I do get recognised now, so that was actually quite challenging.’

Now 49, he’s come a long way since Trainspotting when he was straight out of drama school. Thanks to his role in the megahit US medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, in which he’s played former army surgeon Dr Owen Hunt with an American accent since 2008, Kevin has become a global superstar. 

And while he may now live in LA and looks as buff as any Hollywood actor, his native Scottish accent is strongly in evidence as we discuss his first British TV series for more than 15 years.

He used his three-month annual break from Grey’s to film the twisting police thriller Six Four. ‘For a long time I’ve been feeling homesick,’ he says. ‘I love working in Hollywood, but it’s intense and there’s a lot of pressure. In Britain it’s slightly more relaxed, and I miss the humour – as well as mince and tatties!’

In Six Four, based on a hit Japanese novel, he plays Detective Constable Chris O’Neill, who despite being a good copper has failed to gain the promotions that have propelled his older brother Philip (Shetland’s Andrew Whipp) up the ranks. 

‘He’s kind of stuck,’ says Kevin. ‘Chris is the small man trying to fight a big system that’s built on lies and backhanders and payoffs, and it’s compelling to find a character who puts himself into danger to try to get to the truth of the matter. It’s a David and Goliath thing.’

Chris is also facing crises in his personal life. His marriage to Michelle (The A Word’s Vinette Robinson) has been rocked by betrayals and they’re also dealing with every parent’s worst nightmare. 

He found fame 27 years ago in the cult drug movie Trainspotting, in which the iconic opening scene sees Ewan McGregor sprinting down the same street

Their teenage daughter Olivia is missing and Chris’s investigations lead him to fear that her disappearance may be linked to that of another girl years ago, potentially exposing a police cover-up. Michelle, a former undercover cop, then makes a reckless decision to return to her clandestine identity in London to find their daughter (the scenes in Princes Street were Chris’s attempts to stop her boarding the train).

Kevin initially prevaricated about whether to take the role of Chris or Philip, but in the end he went with the one that felt most like him. ‘The thing that drew me to playing Chris was that I have a brother who’s five years older than me,’ he says. 

‘In our childhood he was the star and I was thinking, “Why’s this guy doing plays at school?” I’d quietly sit in the background and do my own thing, so that dynamic felt very familiar to me.’

He admits though that he was initially worried about playing a Scot. ‘I was thinking nobody was going to buy my accent any more because I’ve been in America so long,’ he explains. ‘But within a weekend it all came back. It was like a duck to water.’

It wasn’t just the accent that marks the difference between DC O’Neill and Dr Hunt. In a shapeless brown mac and crumpled clothes, the copper looks nothing like the polished medic. 

‘We spent a lot of time creating that look for this downtrodden guy who’s let himself go,’ says Kevin. ‘It was fun coming off Grey’s where everybody’s perfect-looking all the time. They’re always trimming your hair or your beard, and you’re always going to the gym. You have to!’

It’s fair to say it’s been a tumultuous year for Kevin. He and his second wife Arielle Goldrath, a US chef, began divorce proceedings in December after four years of marriage and two children – son Aiden, four, and daughter Nava, three. He’s also father to Joseph, 22, a university student, and Iona, 21, who’s at drama school, from his first marriage.

Thanks to his role in the megahit US medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, in which he’s played former army surgeon Dr Owen Hunt with an American accent since 2008, Kevin has become a global superstar 

He takes his children to visit his hometown of Elgin in the Highlands as often as he can. ‘They love it, walking on those beautiful beaches and going into the wee pubs,’ he says. ‘I’m proud that they’re going to feel their ancestry.’

In August his whole family will fly to Las Vegas from Scotland for his 50th birthday, and he admits he’s bemused by the impending milestone. ‘When I was doing Trainspotting I was literally a kid, and 50 felt ancient to me,’ he laughs. 

‘Now I’m 50 but it seems different these days. I don’t really know how I feel about it!’

At least he’s still got the stamina to sprint through the streets of Edinburgh.

• Six Four starts Thursday on ITVX.