Star Warsprequels actorHayden Christensenrecently opened up about his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker, and how his younger counterpart informed his own performance. Christensen played Anakin Skywalker inEpisode II: Attack of the ClonesandEpisode III: Revenge of the Sith. But, before Christensen began Anakin’s path to the Dark Side, Jake Lloyd played a much younger version of the character inEpisode I: The Phantom Menace.
Speaking at the ‘Hayden Christensen and Rosario Dawson: A Galactic Reunion’ pannel at FAN EXPO (viaScreenRant), the actor opened up about the level to which Lloyd’s performance informed his own. Christensen and Lloyd’s versions of Anakin Skywalker shared more than just a name, they also shared the same mannerisms. During the panel, Christensen revealed that he closely studied Jake Lloyd’s performance inThe Phantom Menace, picking up on the quirks and small details within the portrayal and bringing some of them to his own turn as Anakin inEpisode II.Anakin’s signature half-smilewas the main detail he picked up on, and the actor used this to maintain a sense of continuity over the time jump betweenThe Phantom MenaceandAttack of the Clones.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Speaking at Awesome Con, in a video shared toX/Twitter, Christensen also addressed his ‘legacy’ as an actor, and said his time working onStar Warswas the"greatest blessing in my professional life.“Christensen said:
“But to get to be a part of Star Wars and get to play this character [Anakin Skywalker], that’s really been the greatest blessing in my professional life.”
Star Wars Fans Criticized Hayden Christensen and Jake Lloyd
Star Warsfans always seem to have some problem with the latest entry in the franchise. The current targets are thevarious Disney+ shows, includingThe Acolyte, which hasn’t even been released yet. Before that, it was Disney’s sequel trilogy starring Daisy Ridley as Rey. Newer fans may not be aware that, before they became revered by fans (thanks in part to the endless stream of memes), the prequel trilogy was a similar target of harsh criticism from fans.
Many aspects of the prequels were picked apart by fans, including the over-reliance on CGI and everything about Jar Jar Binks as a character. However, some fans took particular issue with thetrilogy’s interpretation of Anakin Skywalker, leading to a slurry of online hate directed towards Jake Lloyd (who was only 8 years old during filming) and Hayden Christensen. The abuse was so harsh, it led to Jake Lloyd quitting acting completely.
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Hayden Christensen has also recently spoken about the online hate directed towards his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker. Speaking toEmpire, earlier this year, Christensen said:
“Because Star Wars has had the cultural impact that it has, these characters almost become public domain, where people feel a sense of ownership over them. The character was criticized, my performance was criticized, and that part sucked.”
“I didn’t understand the disconnect between the movie that I saw, and the negativity in some of the reviews.”
Christensen has since reprized the role two times on-screen. The actor first reappeared as Anakin Skywalker in the Disney+ seriesObi-Wan Kenobiin 2022. Last year, Christensen made his fourth on-screen appearance as Anakin, when the character returned alongside their former Padawan in theAhsokaseries, also on Disney+.
All of Hayden Christensen’s performances as Anakin Skywalker inStar Warscan be streamed on Disney+.
