Star Wars, since its inception, has cast a huge number of actors and actresses in various roles, who have gone on to achieve immense fame and acclaim as a result. Yet, one actor from the franchise has remained largely absent and away from the public eye.
Jake Lloyd, who portrayed the young Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace has not been seen in any role after that. And as the movie turns 25 this year, his mother in an exclusive interview reveals the tragic story behind his disappearance.
Reason Why Star Wars Star Jake Lloyd Quit Acting
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace will be 25 this year and will be re-released in theatres following May 3, for a short time (via Empire). As the fans gear up for its release, celebrating the movie and its cast, Jake Lloyd seems absent from the celebration.
Chosen among 3,000 other child actors, Lloyd starred as the young Anakin Skywalker and that was his brief stint with the limelight except for a few interviews in the last few years. Now after 25 years, his mother Lisa Lloyd in an exclusive interview with Scripps News revealed how the actor has been embroiled in a deep and hard battle with mental illness.
Starting from high school, the actor showed personality change and talked about different realities. Things turned worse when he enrolled in college and complained about people following him and started hearing voices.
In 2008, he was eventually diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia, and Anosognosia (denial of one’s condition and symptoms) made it even worse to treat him. In 2015 he even ended up spending 10 months behind lockup on multiple charges. And when his sister, Madison, an extra on the Star Wars set passed away in 2018, things went further south.
“He just couldn’t handle it. He didn’t know how to process it.”
And after a full-blown psychotic break in March 2023, Lloyd was sent to a mental rehabilitation facility to an inpatient program, where he is doing much better after 10 months. With 8 months remaining in the program, Lloyd’s mother reveals her son is in a much better condition and even starting to return to normal.
Jake Lloyd Is Still A Huge Fan Of Star Wars
After Jake Lloyd disappeared from the public eye after his brief stint in The Phantom Menace, many believed it had something to do with the negative reaction to the movie. Yet Lisa Lloyd states that she kept her son pretty shielded from the negativity and her disappearance had to do with family issues, and mental problems, and that Jake didn’t seem to be having a lot of fun auditioning anymore.
Revealing that his mental condition is genetic due to his biological father’s family history, Lisa revealed that Lloyd is still a huge fan of Star Wars.
“He loves all the new ‘Star Wars’ stuff. People think Jake hates ‘Star Wars.’ He loves it… Jake loved filming ‘Star Wars.’ He had so much fun.”
Now in a much better place, we sincerely hope that Jake Lloyd overcomes his struggles and wish the very best to him and his mother.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace can be streamed on Disney+.
