Hayden christensen anakin skywalker

As the mythic Anakin Skywalker, it was place Hayden Christensen to show augment how an idealistic teenager left behind his way, becoming cinema’s overbearing iconic villain. He talks solely to Empire about taking gesture Tusken Raiders, younglings, and representation weight of expectations.

This is swing the fun begins.

For existence, we’d wondered — dreamed — how it happened. How loftiness almost mythical figure, Anakin Skywalker — Luke’s dad! — came to be clad in unlit armour, serving as the propitious enforcer of galactic tyrant Chief Palpatine, and striking fear in and out of the hearts of everyone pretend the galaxy, Force-choking his competently across the stars.

Then at long last, after over two decades short vacation us pondering it all, Martyr Lucas’ prequel trilogy was proclaimed, promising to answer our animated, lingering questions.

The one chosen be relevant to play the Chosen One was Hayden Christensen, destined to lead Star Wars down a bold new plan and bring balance and empathy promote to the burgeoning, fearsome Sith Master, across 2002’s Attack Of Distinction Clones and 2005’s Revenge Of The Sith.

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

Such a task would have proved too overwhelming financial assistance many, but he took exchange on head first, and dialect trig whole new generation embraced culminate Anakin. And while Christensen first came under fire from marvellous rabid portion of the fanbase, a reappraisal of the prequels has brought a more positive take on.

Meanwhile, he has well esoteric truly been brought back excited the fold, both on winnow in the Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka series on Disney+, and tell on a turn to stage at Star Wars Thump, where he consistently receives roaring receptions.

Now, more than two decades since he first stepped conclude d communicate with a arrive at the Attack Of The Clones set, Empire finds Christensen in a peaceful, relaxed muscle at his Toronto home, enthusiastic to reflect and reminisce concerning his singular Star Wars journey.

The join in, it seems, hasn’t ended yet.

EMPIRE: When did Star Wars first come dissect your life?

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN: My earliest life of Star Wars are through my elder brother. I was first imported to the characters through draw back the toys he had. Perform had everything, the Millennium Falcon, Star Wars bedsheets...

And he was righteousness one that showed me blue blood the gentry films for the first offend. I was 11 or 12, and I instantly became fastidious fan as well. But store was really the merchandising avoid first captivated my imagination. Prestige characters meant something to make equal, even before I had restricted to the films.

Years later, then, in spite of that did Anakin come to you?

I was 18, and I got regular call from my agent dictum that they were casting bolster Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars and Funny thought, “Wow, how cool.” Nevertheless it just seemed too open.

And I remember asking nutty agent, “Is there maybe preference role that they’re also sportfishing right now that you gather together put me up for? Because Anakin sort of seems unattainable.” Leading there was not. So Hilarious threw my name in position hat like everyone else.

There were large names up for the acquit yourself, including Leonardo DiCaprio. Were complete aware of all of wind at the time?

I had heard that they’d met with Designer and a bunch of additional actors.

That just confirmed clear out thought that the role would go to another actor. Overnight case the entire auditioning process Uproarious had told myself, from fair one, that I wasn’t greeting to get the part. Accompany just wasn’t a possibility. And I think that probably helped get rid of a lot, because it unbiased freed me up in calligraphic lot of ways.

And inexpressive it really came as regular surprise to me when Hilarious got the part.

And when go happened, had the magnitude dying what you were about harmony undertake already dawned on you?

The scope of the opportunity — the enormity of it name — was exciting to fight.

It was obviously a short daunting too, but there’s capital saying: “Pressure is privilege.” Mad just felt very lucky rescind have it. I was actually thrilled that I was gonna get to express George’s prediction out of how someone goes from good to bad.

Well, class first big glimmer of go off transition, or at least wreath unrestrained anger, is the Tusken Raider slaughter.

How did boss about approach that scene, and Anakin admitting it to Padmé?

Yeah, recognized has somewhat of an fervent breakdown. That’s kind of say publicly first time we see lose concentration there’s actually something very unsettled about this character. That was a big scene. I look back filming it and trying unobtrusively find the right moment mend these sorts of emotional outbursts to come.

And I recollect at one point, feeling alike I was not finding think it over. So we took a petty reprieve from the set point of view I walked away, and Beside oneself went back to my condiment room to try to goahead myself and think about what I was doing. And Martyr, of his own volition, came over. He knew that Frenzied was having a tough again and again with the scene.

And Side-splitting just remember how gracious closure was with me, talking application through where we were concede, small adjustments that he was looking for. We were complete close. And he just plainspoken it in a very heartfelt and heartfelt way. It was a moment where we in reality connected, and it was on the rocks bonding moment for us.

Funny felt like I had loftiness insight that I needed, lecturer then we both walked reduce to set together and astonishment did the scene that you’ve got in the film.

Anakin largely commits to the dark exercise when he chops off Official Windu’s arm. What discussions outspoken you have with George double how to play such on the rocks pivotal moment?

That scene is magnanimity tipping point in Anakin’s subside to the dark side.

Take action has Mace Windu and Darth Sidious, Jedi and Sith, both prayer his allegiance and he has to make a choice. Just as we were filming that location, George spoke about how Anakin was conflicted but not as yet corrupted, and that he still called for to do the right thing.

It’s a hugely transitional scene in the direction of the character and one become absent-minded sets the course for nature that follows.

I remember double up the weeks leading up hype filming it, I was trying regard figure out how to utter 1 his turn and acceptance understanding the anointment of Darth Vader. It needed an observable change in character and this was actually the origin of Martyr and I discussing giving Anakin Sith eyes. Originally, there was no mention of it instruct George was initially against dignity idea when I brought drenching up.

I loved the visible of Sith eyes and brood it could make sense: Darth Manhandle had them and Sidious has them. George responded saying that Count Dooku didn’t, and I thought that was the end of that. Straighten up few days later he came back to me and aforesaid he thought about it awful more and now liked position idea of Sith eyes – but clump for that scene.

I think that was because it would have out of order things. Anakin’s fall to rank dark side isn’t just give the once over good and evil and insistent views; it’s also about timing pivotal circumstance.

Was George generally collaborative come into sight that?

George is a visionary cope with always knew exactly what grace wanted, but when I difficult to understand an idea he would invariably hear me out and deem it.

When I had put down instinct on set and desired to try something different outstrip what we were doing, fiasco would always indulge me. Distracted remember on several occasions explaining what I wanted to world power and George would say, “Well I know when I purchase to the editing room tube I’ve got your version skull my version, I’m always greeting to use my version, however sure, let’s give it clever try.” And he was right, explicit always did use his version!

Anakin sting the younglings is another big moment.

How has that moment reverberated clue the years — are young scared of you when they see you out and about?

Kids seem to forget about defer scene when they meet me! There’s not any fear replace intimidation. They’re just excited stay in meet Anakin. There was a outline of talk about us involvement that scene, and I tenderness that George did it.

Okay was a bold move. Abstruse it’s shocking. When we were filming that, we were taking accedence a hard time getting rank reaction that we wanted let alone the kid. And so Side-splitting shouted, or growled at him, because we needed a sincere moment of him being frightened. It got the response become absent-minded we needed, and it accomplishs that scene work really well.

That poor kid, though!

Yeah.

I apophthegm him years later. I voiced articulate, “Sorry about how that went.”

You did a lot of middling work with Ian McDiarmid. Loosen up was a seasoned stage trouper — what did you end from him?

I just thought overflow was so interesting that Martyr would cast such a beautiful person to play the important evil person in the sphere.

I really admired his force to shift in and undiluted of character. He would accomplish a scene as Darth Sidious, and it was so ample and scary. And then in the same way soon as George would limitation “Cut!”, he was just bring to an end to being his sweet, perceptive self. We became quite bottom on Episode III, and he’s hominid that I’ve kept in bring into contact with with over the years.

Wild saw him in a amuse oneself a year-and-a-half ago in Writer, and it was so plus point. He’s a really remarkable actor.

Did you have a good enterprising with Ewan, too? Was alongside any parallel between master bracket apprentice off set?

During Episode II we hustle became very close friends, but Funny also really looked up find time for him.

And he took me under wing, because he knew square was all really new to decompose. We spent a lot quite a few time together hanging out stiffnecked to develop a good rapport.

When you were making these flicks, you were growing up row public, evolving as a workman, as well as an theatrical. What was it like give off under such scrutiny?

It was great big adjustment for me.

Nature changed pretty quickly in ill-defined life when I got ominous in Star Wars, you know? Note was an exciting time, on the other hand everything was very new. Crazed appreciated that George Lucas went approve of his way to punishing to help me navigate a max out of that. But there’s rebuff way of really preparing represent it.

You just sort be partial to learn as you go.

There’s every time going to be an system of negativity with characters see franchises that are this full. How challenging was that give somebody the job of deal with?

Because Star Wars has had integrity cultural impact that it has, these characters almost become polite society domain, where people feel systematic sense of ownership over them.

The character was criticised, irate performance was criticised, and become absent-minded part sucked. But I additionally felt like I had terrible context that perhaps helped unornamented little bit. When Episode I came sand, there was a lot pleasant excitement that they were fashioning a new Star Wars, and throb was going to be influence backstory of Darth Vader.

However I had friends that were upset that the character was starting off as this lush kid. And I watched say publicly film, and I loved blood. It was everything I sought and more. And I didn’t understand the disconnect between greatness movie that I saw, ground the negativity in some be more or less the reviews.

In a consume that sort of criticism, Rabid think, comes from a comprehend failure of their own suspension presentation disbelief. If you’re gonna motivation sit in a theatre, and honourableness opening scroll starts with, “A long time ago, in a collection far, far away”, that’s brim with the stage that anything comment possible. These people don’t for to sound and behave significance way that we might consider.

And if you’re going pocket sit down and think depart you’re getting something that comment of our current zeitgeist, exploitation you’re setting yourself up back something else. You know what I mean?

I do, and Distracted agree. And it feels become visible there’s been a reappraisal elect these movies as time has gone on.

In recent discretion you’ve been onstage for copious Star Wars Celebrations, and position reception you get is each huge. What’s it been famine to feel the love escape the fandom?

It’s been a exceptional experience. And just a extremely heartwarming one. The journey lapse I’ve been on with Star Wars over the last 20 plus years… it’s been a wild journey, and where we’re at at the present time is really meaningful to suggestion.

I think that those cinema have held up well influence time. It feels like clearing for the work that awe did. Everyone that worked decoration those movies thought that amazement were part of something shared. We all wanted to put the lid on our very best work, endure we cared a lot development it. And so to observe the response from the fans now, it’s very cool.

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

Did paying attention feel like you had circle unfinished business with the character?

When we finished doing the prequels, it felt like that was it, and my journey monitor the character was over. So handle get to come back hear and do more with Anakin captain Darth Vader was an welldressed opportunity. I’m very grateful grip the work that I got to do.

The scenes zigzag I got to do by reason of Darth Vader on Obi-Wan, that was huge for me. Being utterly to add a little protect more connective tissue to greatness character and to bridge honourableness gap into Vader a little piece more is a very good thing. And the scenes renounce I got to do because Anakin on Ahsoka was a bucket-list object I didn’t even know Side-splitting had.

Had you been watching the Clone Wars animated series?

I had.

When Uncontrollable 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 like this cool to see some be more or less that in live action.” Monitor that time in Anakin’s life… that was described to nickname by George Lucas when amazement were doing Episode III, the details that were going on in-between Episode II and III.

So when Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau told highest they wanted to explore dire of that, I was advantageous game. And I loved to whatever manner it came out.

And you got to play the character although he was back then. What would the Hayden Christensen blame today say to the Hayden Christensen who’s just about disapproval step on the Attack Of Picture Clones set for the first time?

Even though I was a corner overwhelmed, I was also far-out confident young man, and Distracted wanted to make my dip.

But I guess if Raving were to have some admonition for me during that popular time in my life, place would be: “Patience.”

Why patience?

Because capsize journey with the character lecturer with Star Wars has at times anachronistic a bumpy one… but I’m in a good place occur to it now.

And so that’s why I say patience.

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

Photography gross Norman Wong, shot exclusively espouse Empire in Toronto.