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Canadian actor Hayden Christensen will always be remembered for his performance in Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) and Episode II: Revenge of the Sith (2005), of the successful Star Wars saga, directed by George Lucas. There he played Anakin Skywalker, the young Jedi Knight who turns to the dark side and becomes Darth Vader, father of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.
Born on April 19, 1981 in Vancouver, Canada, his acting career began almost by accident when he accompanied his older sister to a casting call for a Pringles potato commercial. At just seven years old, he caught the attention of one of the producers and then began to star in television commercials.
His big screen debut came in 1994, when director John Carpenter offered him a small role in the horror film In the Mouth of Fear. After other secondary roles, he began to gain popularity in the early 2000s for the television series Tierras altas, where he gave life to a teenager who entered the world of drugs due to the sexual harassment he received from his stepmother. .
Hayden Christensen, remembered by all for his portrayal of Darth Vader in “Star Wars” (Photo: REUTERS/Fred Prouser) By: REUTERS
It was there that he caught the attention of George Lucas, who summoned him to be Darth Vader. At the casting, Christensen prevailed over more than 400 applicants, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Walker, Heath Ledger and Ryan Phillippe, among others.
He was left with the most desired role in the film and was destined for stardom, but nothing turned out as he expected. Instead, he received fierce criticism for his performance from fans and pundits alike, even winning two Razzie Awards for Worst Supporting Actor.
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During those years he tried to succeed in Hollywood, but he accumulated several box office failures. So, she decided to accept some roles without much impact and take refuge on a small farm in her native Canada with her partner, the actress Rachel Bilson, with whom she had a son in 2014, although they separated in 2017.
His return as Darth Vader and the surprising reception from fans
Despite this, he always clarified that he would like to play Darth Vader again: “Being part of that world was a great challenge for me and they were four or five fantastic years of my life. I have great memories and friendships from that time in my life. If one day they called me, I would sign without thinking about it.
Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor celebrate the launch of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series (Photo: REUTERS/Matthew Childs) By: REUTERS
Said and done, he accepted without hesitation the offer to put himself back in the shoes of the Star Wars villain for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, released in May 2022. “When I received that call I was at home in Canada, and it was a big surprise and very welcome. It was a very emotional moment,” he recalled.
The trailer for the latest film in the saga starring Hayden Christensen.
Far from being resisted, which would have been understandable due to the criticism after his previous performances, his return was very well received by fans of the saga. In addition, he confirmed his participation as Darth Vader in Ahsoka, the Disney + series that will have its first episode on August 23, 2023.
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Two decades after that first performance, Christensen is happy everyone is seeing him again as Darth Vader. Everyone except his little daughter. “She is eight years. He knows that I’m in Star Wars and that I played this character, but he’s never seen me, at least not yet. There are some disturbing scenes that I am reluctant for her to see at this age,” he explained.
2023-08-06 06:05:16
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