Kevin McKidd was brought up in Elgin, Scotland and was a member of the Moray Youth Theatre before going on to study Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. While at university Kevin became involved with Bedlam Theatre, the university's student theatre company. At this point Kevin decided to give up on engineering and dropped out of university to pursue acting full-time. In 1994 he landed the leading role in the stageplay 'The Silver Darlings', produced by Robert Carlyle's Rain Dog Theatre Company. It was only a matter of time before Kevin made his screen debut as the vicious gangleader Malky Johnson in Gillies Mackinnon's Small Faces. His next role was as the tragic, gentle giant Tommy in Trainspotting.
Due to illness could not attend the photo shoot for the iconic Trainspotting advertising campaign, and is the only main star of the film who is missing. Left a university course in engineering to audition for the Queen Margaret Drama School.