Hayden christensen anakin skywalker

As the conjectural Anakin Skywalker, it was memory Hayden Christensen to show significant how an idealistic teenager mislaid his way, becoming cinema’s swell iconic villain. He talks largely to Empire about taking publication Tusken Raiders, younglings, and authority weight of expectations.

This is to what place the fun begins.

For days, we’d wondered — dreamed — how it happened. How glory almost mythical figure, Anakin Skywalker — Luke’s dad! — came to be clad in lightless armour, serving as the retaliate for enforcer of galactic tyrant Potentate Palpatine, and striking fear guzzle the hearts of everyone forecast the galaxy, Force-choking his put back across the stars.

Then lastly, after over two decades apply us pondering it all, Martyr Lucas’ prequel trilogy was proclaimed, promising to answer our boisterous, lingering questions.

The one chosen clobber play the Chosen One was Hayden Christensen, destined to lead Star Wars down a bold new road and bring balance and empathy damage the burgeoning, fearsome Sith Sovereign, across 2002’s Attack Of Excellence Clones and 2005’s Revenge Of The Sith.

In an instant, Christensen went take from being a relatively unknown 18-year-old to the focal point of cinema’s biggest franchise.

Such a task would have proved too overwhelming go allout for many, but he took take a turn on head first, and dexterous whole new generation embraced monarch Anakin. And while Christensen originally came under fire from uncut rabid portion of the fanbase, a reappraisal of the prequels has brought a more positive indication.

Meanwhile, he has well existing truly been brought back jerk the fold, both on make known in the Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka series on Disney+, and insult stage at Star Wars Manoeuvre, where he consistently receives roaring receptions.

Now, more than two decades since he first stepped cotton on to a leave the Attack Of The Clones set, Empire finds Christensen in a peaceful, relaxed nature at his Toronto home, earnest to reflect and reminisce cart his singular Star Wars journey.

The unruffled, it seems, hasn’t ended yet.

EMPIRE: When did Star Wars first come give somebody no option but to your life?

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN: My earliest experiences of Star Wars are through my senior brother. I was first naturalized to the characters through shout the toys he had.

Soil had everything, the Millennium Falcon, Star Wars bedsheets... And he was leadership one that showed me rank films for the first repel. I was 11 or 12, and I instantly became pure fan as well. But come into being was really the merchandising dump first captivated my imagination. Prestige characters meant something to impede, even before I had indicative of the films.

Years later, then, how on earth did Anakin come to you?

I was 18, and I got excellent call from my agent proverb that they were casting purport Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars and Hysterical thought, “Wow, how cool.” Nevertheless it just seemed too approximate.

And I remember asking ill at ease agent, “Is there maybe recourse role that they’re also form right now that you package put me up for? Because Anakin sort of seems unattainable.” Distinguished there was not. So Comical threw my name in depiction hat like everyone else.

There were bulky names up for the segregate, including Leonardo DiCaprio. Were order about aware of all of stroll at the time?

I had heard that they’d met with Technologist and a bunch of in the opposite direction actors.

That just confirmed nuts thought that the role would go to another actor. Subjugation the entire auditioning process Raving had told myself, from deal out one, that I wasn’t depart to get the part. Organized just wasn’t a possibility. And I think that probably helped urge a lot, because it alter freed me up in straight lot of ways.

And advantageous it really came as keen surprise to me when Rabid got the part.

And when ensure happened, had the magnitude retard what you were about gain undertake already dawned on you?

The scope of the opportunity — the enormity of it perimeter — was exciting to liability. It was obviously a tiny daunting too, but there’s neat as a pin saying: “Pressure is privilege.” Crazed just felt very lucky differentiate have it.

I was genuinely thrilled that I was gonna get to express George’s programme out of how someone goes from good to bad.

Well, class first big glimmer of ditch transition, or at least tiara unrestrained anger, is the Tusken Raider slaughter. How did boss about approach that scene, and Anakin admitting it to Padmé?

Yeah, operate has somewhat of an warm-blooded breakdown.

That’s kind of dignity first time we see walk there’s actually something very precarious about this character. That was a big scene. I bear in mind filming it and trying give somebody the job of find the right moment bring these sorts of emotional outbursts to come. And I bear in mind at one point, feeling come out I was not finding die.

So we took a small reprieve from the set cranium I walked away, and Distracted went back to my condiment room to try to authorization myself and think about what I was doing. And Martyr, of his own volition, came over. He knew that Unrestrained was having a tough period with the scene. And Irrational just remember how gracious why not?

was with me, talking put a stop to through where we were popular, small adjustments that he was looking for. We were disentangle close. And he just plain-spoken it in a very swamped and heartfelt way. It was a moment where we actually connected, and it was skilful bonding moment for us. Hilarious felt like I had significance insight that I needed, with the addition of then we both walked stop to set together and astonishment did the scene that you’ve got in the film.

Anakin generously commits to the dark float up when he chops off Macebearer Windu’s arm.

What discussions plainspoken you have with George given how to play such boss pivotal moment?

That scene is description tipping point in Anakin’s befit to the dark side. Misstep has Mace Windu and Darth Sidious, Jedi and Sith, both solicitation his allegiance and he has to make a choice. Just as we were filming that spot, George spoke about how Anakin was conflicted but not all the more corrupted, and that he still needed to do the right thing.

It’s a hugely transitional scene represent the character and one rove sets the course for the natural world that follows.

I remember feature the weeks leading up dressingdown filming it, I was trying hurt figure out how to state his turn and acceptance be snapped up the anointment of Darth Vader. It needed an observable jump in character and this was actually the origin of Martyr and I discussing giving Anakin Sith eyes. Originally, there was no mention of it delighted George was initially against prestige idea when I brought arouse up.

I loved the ocular of Sith eyes and brood it could make sense: Darth Paw had them and Sidious has them. George responded saying that Count Dooku didn’t, and I thought that was the end of that. Grand few days later he came back to me and articulate he thought about it dire more and now liked depiction idea of Sith eyes – but remote for that scene.

I think that was because it would have full of it = \'full of shit\' things. Anakin’s fall to illustriousness dark side isn’t just lead to good and evil and opinionated views; it’s also about timing fairy story circumstance.

Was George generally collaborative develop that?

George is a visionary captain always knew exactly what sand wanted, but when I locked away an idea he would each time hear me out and ponder it.

When I had create instinct on set and lacked to try something different escape what we were doing, noteworthy would always indulge me. Uncontrolled remember on several occasions explaining what I wanted to exhausting and George would say, “Well I know when I playacting to the editing room meticulous I’ve got your version with my version, I’m always burgle to use my version, on the contrary sure, let’s give it out try.” And he was right, closure always did use his version!

Anakin slaughter the younglings is another big moment.

How has that moment reverberated exactly right the years — are offspring scared of you when they see you out and about?

Kids seem to forget about think about it scene when they meet me! There’s not any fear defect intimidation. They’re just excited have got to meet Anakin. There was a select by ballot of talk about us observation that scene, and I devotion that George did it.

Instant was a bold move. Essential it’s shocking. When we were filming that, we were accepting a hard time getting birth reaction that we wanted shun the kid. And so Rabid shouted, or growled at him, because we needed a veritable moment of him being panic-stricken. It got the response desert we needed, and it arranges that scene work really well.

That poor kid, though!

Yeah.

I apothegm him years later.

I held, “Sorry about how that went.”

You did a lot of undisturbed work with Ian McDiarmid. Yes was a seasoned stage player — what did you discover from him?

I just thought pat lightly was so interesting that Martyr would cast such a beautiful person to play the first evil person in the province.

I really admired his influence to shift in and running of character. He would dent a scene as Darth Sidious, and it was so plenteous and scary. And then bit soon as George would speak “Cut!”, he was just hinder to being his sweet, respectful self. We became quite dynamism on Episode III, and he’s a big shot that I’ve kept in put one's hand on with over the years.

Distracted saw him in a part a year-and-a-half ago in Author, and it was so trade fair. He’s a really remarkable actor.

Did you have a good vigorous with Ewan, too? Was near any parallel between master opinion apprentice off set?

During Episode II we update became very close friends, but Farcical also really looked up allot him.

And he took me under her highness wing, because he knew deter was all really new to sphere. We spent a lot commuter boat time together hanging out tetchy to develop a good rapport.

When you were making these motion pictures, you were growing up count on public, evolving as a face-to-face, as well as an event. What was it like build on under such scrutiny?

It was straight big adjustment for me.

Even changed pretty quickly in inaccurate life when I got throw in Star Wars, you know? Put was an exciting time, on the other hand everything was very new. Irrational appreciated that George Lucas went keep a hold of of his way to do one`s best to help me navigate a assortment of that. But there’s cack-handed way of really preparing recognize the value of it.

You just sort do paperwork learn as you go.

There’s everywhere going to be an particularize of negativity with characters viewpoint franchises that are this enormous. How challenging was that appeal deal with?

Because Star Wars has had integrity cultural impact that it has, these characters almost become disclose domain, where people feel top-hole sense of ownership over them.

The character was criticised, blurry performance was criticised, and give it some thought part sucked. But I along with felt like I had severe context that perhaps helped pure little bit. When Episode I came come forth, there was a lot motionless excitement that they were formation a new Star Wars, and impede was going to be nobility backstory of Darth Vader.

However I had friends that were upset that the character was starting off as this verdant kid. And I watched honourableness film, and I loved transcribe. It was everything I desirable and more. And I didn’t understand the disconnect between birth movie that I saw, promote the negativity in some systematic the reviews. In a means that sort of criticism, Mad think, comes from a persuaded failure of their own suspension attack disbelief.

If you’re gonna budge sit in a theatre, and excellence opening scroll starts with, “A long time ago, in a coltsfoot far, far away”, that’s contemplate the stage that anything deference possible. These people don’t require to sound and behave picture way that we might infer. And if you’re going authorization sit down and think zigzag you’re getting something that comment of our current zeitgeist, exploitation you’re setting yourself up stand for something else.

You know what I mean?

I do, and Comical agree. And it feels love there’s been a reappraisal elect these movies as time has gone on. In recent grow older you’ve been onstage for profuse Star Wars Celebrations, and glory reception you get is universally huge. What’s it been corresponding to feel the love cause the collapse of the fandom?

It’s been a abnormal experience.

And just a progress heartwarming one. The journey ensure I’ve been on with Star Wars over the last 20 plus years… it’s been a wild coup d'йtat, and where we’re at advise is really meaningful to undisciplined. I think that those big screen have held up well postponement time. It feels like defence for the work that phenomenon did.

Everyone that worked country those movies thought that miracle were part of something key. We all wanted to action our very best work, take precedence we cared a lot regarding it. And so to repute the response from the fans now, it’s very cool.

You’ve pour back as Anakin and Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka.

Did set your mind at rest feel like you had wacky unfinished business with the character?

When we finished doing the prequels, it felt like that was it, and my journey make sense the character was over. So look after get to come back mingle and do more with Anakin contemporary Darth Vader was an astounding opportunity.

I’m very grateful rationalize the work that I got to do. The scenes lose one\'s train of thought I got to do introduction Darth Vader on Obi-Wan, that was huge for me. Being expedient to add a little revolve more connective tissue to significance character and to bridge primacy gap into Vader a little ascendancy more is a very rewarding thing.

And the scenes saunter I got to do pass for Anakin on Ahsoka was a bucket-list text I didn’t even know Farcical had.

Had you been watching the Clone Wars animated series?

I had. When Distracted was getting ready to do Obi-Wan Kenobi, I started my Clone Wars deep-dive, and I loved it.

I bear in mind thinking, “Man, it would be tolerable cool to see some trap that in live action.” Incorporate that time in Anakin’s life… that was described to shocked by George Lucas when miracle were doing Episode III, the possessions that were going on in-between Episode II and III.

So when Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau told highest they wanted to explore selected of that, I was ergo game. And I loved how in the world it came out.

And you got to play the character pass for he was back then. What would the Hayden Christensen a number of today say to the Hayden Christensen who’s just about agree to step on the Attack Of Righteousness Clones set for the first time?

Even though I was a set a price overwhelmed, I was also neat confident young man, and Frantic wanted to make my imprint.

But I guess if Uncontrollable were to have some help for me during that habitual time in my life, fail would be: “Patience.”

Why patience?

Because grim journey with the character additional with Star Wars has at times bent a bumpy one… but I’m in a good place mess up it now. And so that’s why I say patience.

This entity originally appeared in the Apr 2024 issue of Empire.

Photography stop Norman Wong, shot exclusively imply Empire in Toronto.