Hayden Christensenhas come a long way since he was cast as Anakin Skywalker inStar Wars: Attack of the Clones, but he clearly remembers being told he had the role quite vividly. Although it is unlikely that the actor had any idea just how iconic his part in the space opera would be or that he would be back to play the role again some 18 years after he thought he was done with the franchise, he is certainly happy to be back.
Speaking toStarWars.comahead of his Darth Vader return in the Disney+ seriesObi-Wan Kenobi, Christensen looked back on the anniversary of Attack of the Clones and reminisced about sharing the news of his successful audition with his roommate. He said:
“I remember when I got the phone call saying that I got the part. I was still in bed, actually, in my apartment in Vancouver at the time. I recall walking out after I got off the phone, just sort of stunned and in disbelief by the news, walking into the living room where my roommate was. He was aware that I was waiting for this call, and he saw my smile and immediately understood that there was good news. My response was, I lit up an imaginary lightsaber. He was a big Star Wars fan too, and he had the soundtrack to Episode I. He put the Star Wars soundtrack on, and we had this whole imaginary lightsaber duel around our apartment, jumping on all the furniture and just screaming like giddy little children.”
Related:Hayden Christensen Discusses Darth Vader’s ‘Very Personal’ Mission in Obi-Wan Kenobi
Hayden Christensen’s Prequel Performance is Accepted Better Now Than 20 Years Ago
Few fan bases are quite as passionate and brutal as that ofStar Wars, and for that reason, any addition to the franchise comes with a terrifying prospect that fans may not be happy with the result. This was certainly true when George Lucas began to deliver his prequel trilogy fifteen years after the release ofReturn of the Jedicompleted the original trilogy. While there was plenty of interest in the new movies, there were just as many gripes and complaints, and as the series progressed, Christensen’s performance was one of the things that were scrutinized and criticized.
Now, as Christensen is being welcomed back to theStar Warsfold like a long-lost son, those criticisms seem to have been replaced with a genuine appreciation for the three prequel movies that were not there on release. Previously, the actor has said that many of those who seem to love the prequels the most is a younger generation of fans – essentially those who have discovered the franchise as a complete package and had no pre-conceptions of what was really expected.
Thanks to that shift in opinion, it would seem thatObi-Wan Kenobiis turning into a project that will be known not only for the return of Ewan McGregor as the title character but will be equally about a redemption for Hayden Christensen. The series releases two episodes on May 27 on Disney+.
