Starting with the 2002 film Attack of the Clones, Hayden Christensen has taken on the role of Anakin Skywalker in the epic space opera, Star Wars. The subsequent movies and shows have showcased how the character slowly finds himself on the dark side of the Force and his transformation into the iconic villain Darth Vedar.
Christensen has since reprised his character multiple times. However, one particular scene alongside co-star Natalie Portman’s Padmé Amidala stands out as especially meaningful for the actor.
Hayden Christensen Reflected on Anakin’s Confession Scene in Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones features a subtle and explicit hint at Anakin’s future as the Sith Lord Darth Vedar. After witnessing his abducted mother’s death at the Tusken campsite, an enraged Anakin Skywalker slaughters the whole tribe, which he later confesses to Padmé Amidala.
In an interview, Hayden Christensen, who portrayed Anakin Skywalker, said that his confession scene with Padmé was the most pivotal for his character’s development and described it as the most important scene for him.
“That scene was particularly important to me,” he said, explaining that it highlighted Anakin’s vulnerability and emotional breakdown as a reflection of his transformation from a childish, arrogant demeanor to a more complex and troubled state, laying the groundwork for his eventual turn to the dark side.
“Up until that point, Anakin has that childish, dismissive tone. He has the arrogance that a child has. So it was important to me, when he is on his own emotional and mental brink, that he break down and cry, and display his emotion the way a child would. The fact that he breaks down and cries like a baby is important to me, because it will show a larger change and a greater transformation.”
Christensen’s reflections offer valuable insight into the emotional depth and complexity of the character, depicted in the scene itself, as Anakin struggles with the person he is becoming, despite ultimately making wrong decisions.
Hayden Christensen’s Extensive Preparation For His Star Wars Role
During the interview, Hayden Christensen also shared insight into his meticulous preparation to embody the role of Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars saga. He shared that he wanted to interpret a seamless transformation from Jake Lloyd’s Anakin from The Phantom Menace.
He also shared that to embody the Sith Lord, he tried to imitate David Prowse’s physicality and posture. Prowse portrayed the role of Darth Vedar in the original Star Wars trilogy, and James Earl Jones voiced the character.
“I tried to steal some of his physicality, like his posture, as well as this very monotone demeanor that he has. He’s very aware,” he said. In addition to observing the actors who previously embodied the role, The Last Man star also extensively studied the franchise.
He shared that he watched the Star Wars movies every weekend while filming and extensively researched the franchise and his character online. Christensen said that reading people’s opinions on the character also helped him prepare for the role.
Attack of the Clones is available to stream on Disney+.
