The Star Wars franchise is undoubtedly one of the most beloved ones out there. Fans are deeply attached to the fictional universe created by George Lucas, which has become nothing short of a pop culture phenomenon. However, fans were a bit disappointed with the Star Wars prequels, starring Hayden Christensen.
Actor Hayden Christensen played the role of Anakin Skywalker, who later went on to fall to the dark side and become the one and the only Darth Vader. Fans weren’t always kind to either the prequel trilogy or Hayden Christensen. However, over the years, the actor has come to establish a good relationship with his time on the prequels. Now, Hayden Christensen gets candid about his Star Wars journey and what advice he’d give his younger self if he had the chance.
Hayden Christensen Talks About His Time on Star Wars
In the coming month of May, the Star Wars prequel trilogy will be celebrating its 25th anniversary since the release of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Speaking to Empire during a photoshoot for the same, Hayden Christensen opened up about his experience filming the prequels.
Christensen, who was in Episode II and Episode III of the trilogy called his experience with the franchise “remarkable” and talked about how the prequel trilogy has managed to hold itself up despite years having gone by.
“It’s been a remarkable experience. And just a very heartwarming one. The journey that I’ve been on with Star Wars over the last 20 plus years… it’s been a wild ride, and where we’re at now is really meaningful to me. I think that those movies have held up well over time. It feels like vindication for the work that we did. Everyone that worked on those movies thought that we were part of something special. We all wanted to do our very best work, and we cared a lot about it. And so to see the response from the fans now, it’s very cool.”
Back when the prequels had been released, they were greeted by mixed reviews from both fans and critics, despite doing wonders at the box office. There were complaints about stiff dialogue delivery and emotionless romance scenes between Anakin and Padme. Christensen was subjected to criticism for his performance. In fact, he even won the Golden Raspberry Awards in the Worst Supporting Actor category for the two films.
Christensen had a tough time on the sets of the prequels who was new to the attention he was getting. Once, their filming location got leaked through a newspaper, and thousands of people flocked to the scene. Military guards had to be brought in to keep the actors and crew safe. Naturally, the actor found it difficult to adjust to the new life and the attention that comes with it.
An Advice to Young Hayden Christensen from His Wiser Self
Christensen was just in his early twenties when Episode II – Attack of the Clones came out in theatres. Needless to say, the actor has grown tremendously over the years, learning a few life lessons along the way. When asked if he had any advice for young Christensen as he stepped into the world of Star Wars, the actor stated,
“Even though I was a bit overwhelmed, I was also a confident young man, and I wanted to make my mark. But I guess if I were to have some advice for me during that general time in my life, it would be: ‘Patience’. Because my journey with the character and with Star Wars has at times been a bumpy one… but I’m in a good place with it now. And so that’s why I say patience.”
It looks like Christensen, too, had to learn to love his time on the prequel trilogy directed by George Lucas. Bringing the story of Anakin Skywalker and how he became the dreaded Darth Vader was not an easy task. Of course, there would be some setbacks and bumps along the way, but Christensen emerged victorious. Despite fans not being completely accepting of the actor, he is now a beloved member of the fictional universe.
