Star Wars actor Hayden Christensen had almost rejected the role of Anakin Skywalker and the reason might surprise you

In Star Wars universe, it is hard to imagine anyone but Hayden Christensen in the role of Anakin Skywalker. Not only did he give a memorable performance as the young Jedi but also as the Sith Lord Darth Vader. He first appeared in the role of Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones in 2002.

The role made the then 19-year-old Hayden a global star, and he continues to be part of the franchise even today. However, during an interview Hayden shared that he almost gave up on the role because he could not afford the tickets for the final round of audition.

During an interview with Variety, he shared:

“…I was living in Vancouver actually at the time. And I remember the next phase of the audition process, they were inviting a bunch of people out to Los Angeles to meet with George Lucas, but they were asking everyone to pay for their own way out there. And I was still a struggling young artist...I was like, I don’t know if I can really justify the plane ticket because there’s no way I’m getting this role…I was like that sounds amazing but is there like a smaller part or something that I could audition for ‘cause it just didn’t seem attainable. So, I actually bowed out at that point.’”

While Hayden did not think he will get the role at the time, things took a surprising turn when he got a phone call a few weeks later and was informed that they will pay for the ticket to go to the Skywalker Ranch. He recalled:

“…And I got to meet George out at the Skywalker Ranch. And that went well. And then I auditioned with Natalie. And I got a really nice phone call a few days later saying I got the part.”

Hayden Christensen got the most coveted role in Star Wars

Anakin Skywalker is one of the most significant characters in Star Wars. As the prophesized chosen one, Anakin is trained to become a Jedi. But he would ultimately fall to the dark side and become one of the greatest villains in movie history, Darth Vader. Hayden spoke to Empire on how he was cynical about getting the sought-after role. He said:

“I had heard that they’d met with Leonardo and a bunch of other actors. That just confirmed my thought that the role would go to another actor. Through the entire auditioning process I had told myself, from day one, that I wasn’t going to get the part. It just wasn’t a possibility. And I think that probably helped me a lot, because it just freed me up in a lot of ways. And so it really came as a surprise to me when I got the part.”

The audience first meet Darth Vader in Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977). In the movie, David Prowse played the role on screen and James Earl Jones voiced the character. In the prequel series, we get the origin story of the Sith Lord. Hayden was aware that the role is an opportunity of a lifetime, which came with many expectations. He said:

“The scope of the opportunity — the enormity of it all — was exciting to me. It was obviously a little daunting too, but there’s a saying: 'Pressure is privilege.' I just felt very lucky to have it. I was really thrilled that I was gonna get to express George’s mapping out of how someone goes from good to bad.”

Hayden has portrayed the role of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. He also reprised the role in the miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Season 1 on Disney+. He will be seen again in Ahsoka Season 2. About continuing to portray the character, Hayden said:

“When we finished doing the prequels, it felt like that was it, and my journey with the character was over. So to get to come back now and do more with Anakin and Darth Vader was an amazing opportunity. I’m very grateful for the work that I got to do. The scenes that I got to do as Darth Vader on Obi-Wan, that was huge for me. Being able to add a little bit more connective tissue to the character and to bridge the gap into Vader a little bit more is a very worthwhile thing. And the scenes that I got to do as Anakin on Ahsoka was a bucket-list item I didn’t even know I had.”

Star Wars movies and shows are available on Disney+.

ALSO READ: “I do think of myself as the Yoda of the Star Trek”: Robert Picardo draws comparison between the Doctor and the Star Wars character

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