When most of us think of the phrase “passionate affair,” I’d like to think Ewan McGregor’s face comes to mind. Even if you’re not down with Christian from Moulin Rouge!, who wouldn’t want to knock boots with Obi-Wan Kenobi?

This time, though Hilary Swank will be the lucky winner of a tangle under McGregor’s sheets. He’s signed on to play Gene Vidal, the secret lover of Amelia Earhart, in Mira Nair’s biopic Amelia. Shooting is already underway with Swank as Earhart and Richard Gere as George Putnam, Earhart’s publicist and husband.

Variety says that the film’s producers have been trying to get McGregor on board for months, and basically twisted themselves into knots to accommodate his schedule. And why shouldn’t they? Those gray-green eyes and dimples shouldn’t go to waste! But seriously, McGregor is a good fit for the role, even if his recent movies haven’t done much to remind us of his abundant charms. He hasn’t been in movie seen by a wide audience since the last Star Wars film, and recent turkeys like Cassandra’s Dream and Deception haven’t helped him much. Amelia is a project that’s guaranteed a high profile, and between this and the upcoming Jim Carrey comedy I Love You Phillip Morris, McGregor seems poised to be back on everyone’s radar again. Welcome back!