With Disney churning out new “Star Wars” initiatives at a near-breakneck tempo lately, actor Hayden Christensen has returned to the general public consciousness in a significant approach. As soon as lampooned for his performances as Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader within the prequel movies, the British Columbia native is being considered in an entire new mild in his second go-around with the Disney+ collection “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and “Ahsoka.” Even earlier than he formally reclaimed his Sith lord mantle, Christensen proved {that a} technology of followers nonetheless love him throughout his grand return to Star Wars Celebration in 2017, when he acquired a tear-jerking ovation after a 15-year absence from the annual occasion.

Nonetheless, whilst goodwill for the actor seemingly abounds, Christensen’s IMDb web page is not precisely exploding with new movie and tv credit. Earlier than his return to the Galaxy Far, Far Away household, he had all however vanished from the general public eye. Given his involvement in a number of the largest movie initiatives of our technology and the early momentum that involvement gave his profession, one can not help however marvel why Hollywood determined it was all however performed with Christensen when he was in the course of his appearing prime. Listed here are some doable explanations for his disappearance from the scene.

Make no mistake about it — George Lucas is the arbiter of many individuals’s childhoods by way of his work with “Star Wars” alone. Whether or not you grew up within the ’70s and ’80s with the unique trilogy of movies otherwise you got here up with Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, and Jar Jar Binks within the ’90s and 2000s, your life was in all probability touched in a technique or one other by his work. Nonetheless, Lucas has additionally been concerned in a number of the largest behind-the-scenes feuds within the “Star Wars” franchise and his efforts as a director, screenwriter, and creator of worlds have not at all times been universally praised. The prequel trilogy, particularly, which included two movies starring Christensen, was slammed by some critics for its dialogue and the sometimes picket performances that Lucas introduced out as a director. 

Even Lucas himself has admitted that a number of the dialogue was “corny.” Nevertheless, the legendary filmmaker additionally contends that the way in which his characters communicate and the issues they are saying within the “Star Wars” movies have been the results of his calculated selections and creative imaginative and prescient. “Most individuals do not perceive the fashion of Star Wars,” Lucas defined, as detailed within the guide “The Star Wars Archives: 1999–2005” (by way of SYFY). “They do not get that there is an underlying motif that may be very very similar to a Nineteen Thirties Western or Saturday matinee serial. It is within the extra romantic interval of creating films and journey movies. And this movie is much more of a melodrama than the others.” Nonetheless, there is not any denying that Lucas’ imaginative and prescient impacted how Christensen’s appearing was perceived by followers and critics.

From the time “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” was launched in 1999 to the prequel trilogy’s 2005 end result with “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” George Lucas’ movie collection was on the forefront of the popular culture dialogue. As such, the actors who introduced it to life — Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, and others — have been put beneath the proverbial microscope; their comings and goings have been extensively reported, and their precise performances within the movies have been examined with much more fervor. For McGregor and Portman, that spotlight helped launch them into the cinematic stratosphere. In Christensen’s case, although, each perceived fault in his efficiency was blasted on-line and within the press.

Consequently, he netted some awards that no actor desires to be related to, successful the Razzie award twice — as soon as for Worst Supporting Actor for his work in “Star Wars: Episode II – Assault of the Clones” and once more for “Revenge of the Sith.” He and Portman have been additionally nominated for Worst Display Couple for his or her work in “Assault of the Clones,” and in 2008, he was nominated with Jessica Alba because the Worst Display Couple for his or her movie “Awake.” Christensen’s longtime affiliation with the bad-acting award seemingly did not assist his trigger.

Followers could look upon Hayden Christensen and the “Star Wars” prequels extra fondly now, however again when the movies have been launched — and for a while after the very fact — they have been considered by many because the artistic low level for the franchise. Christensen addressed the hate he acquired from critics and followers in a 2024 interview with Empire Journal, saying, “As a result of ‘Star Wars’ has had the cultural affect that it has, these characters virtually turn into public area, the place folks really feel a way of possession over them. The character was criticised, my efficiency was criticised, and that half sucked.” Christensen maintained that he took the criticism in stride, saying, “I did not perceive the disconnect between the film that I noticed, and the negativity in a number of the critiques. In a approach, that form of criticism, I feel, comes from a sure failure of their very own suspension of disbelief.”

Though Christensen asserts that the negativity hurled in his path by critics and followers was their problem and never his, it is laborious to think about that it did not have an effect on how he was perceived by Hollywood’s high decision-makers. At least, it in all probability did not assist his trigger as he labored to carve out a profitable profession after “Star Wars.”

There’s a veritable bonanza of strains — and line reads — from the “Star Wars” prequels that dwell on in infamy. Sadly for Hayden Christensen, the one line that actually stands other than the remaining was delivered by him, as Anakin Skywalker, throughout “Star Wars: Episode II – Assault of the Clones.” Whereas Skywalker is charged with guarding Natalie Portman’s Padme Amidala, the younger Jedi laments the environs of his childhood house on Tatooine, declaring, “I do not like sand.” Once more, sadly for Christensen, the road turned one thing of a rallying cry for detractors of the prequel trilogy. A lot so, in actual fact, that it went on to attain respectable meme standing throughout the 2010s.

As chronicled by KnowYourMeme, the road was included in a 2002 listicle titled, “64 Causes to Hate ‘Star Wars: Episode II,'” after which Leisure Tonight included it within the article, “Here is what needs to be reduce from ‘Assault of the Clones.'” Over the following years, it could unfold throughout YouTube and Tumblr. For higher or for worse (in all probability the latter), one may say the road has turn into Christensen’s “Rosebud,” which assuredly wasn’t his or “Star Wars” creator George Lucas’ intent with its presentation within the movie.

Within the wake of his “Star Wars” expertise — even with a number of the unfavorable sentiment surrounding his on-screen exploits as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader — Christensen nonetheless had the look of a celluloid celebrity within the making. He was younger and good trying, and he had a robust efficiency alongside Kevin Kline in “Life as a Home” beneath his belt. He was immediately recognizable world wide. Nevertheless, the initiatives he connected himself to exterior of “Star Wars,” each whereas he was making the prequels and instantly after, weren’t precisely automobiles for showcasing his viability as a number one man.

Movies like 2006’s “Manufacturing facility Woman,” 2007’s “Awake,” 2008’s “Jumper,” and 2009’s “New York, I Love You” turned punching luggage for film critics. Their scores on Rotten Tomatoes presently sit at 21%, 23%, 15% and 37%, respectively. Certain, there are a handful of gems amongst his previous credit — 2003’s “Shattered Glass” instantly jumps to thoughts. That movie was extremely regarded, and Christensen acquired a Satellite tv for pc Award nomination for his efforts because the titular journalist, Stephen Glass. Nevertheless, to swing and miss so many occasions in a row after a tough go together with the prequels might be sufficient to do any aspiring display icon in.

Though Anakin Skywalker is arguably the pivotal character within the overarching plot of the “Star Wars” movies, the character — just like the actors who performed him — was by no means fairly the proverbial high banana in any of the saga’s installments. Within the unique trilogy, Anakin was the foil for Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia and Harrison Ford’s Han Solo. Then, within the prequels, he shared the highlight with Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, Natalie Portman’s Padme Amidala, and Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn. Anakin’s actuality mirrors that of Hayden Christensen’s journey as a thespian, because the Canadian star repeatedly shared the marquee with standard actors and, in some instances, generational abilities.

It started with “Star Wars” with McGregor and Portman. Then, in “Jumper,” it was future Academy Honorary Award-winner and “Star Wars” pal Samuel L. Jackson. “Awake” served as Jessica Alba’s image, and even “Shattered Glass” noticed Christensen’s costar Peter Sarsgaard internet a Golden Globe nomination. “New York, I Love You,” in the meantime, featured quite a few huge names — Natalie Portman, Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Ethan Hawke, Robin Wright, Bradley Cooper. As his profession was on the rise, Christensen not often received the chance to be the highest title on the decision sheet in a venture that actually mattered.

No matter which camp you fall into along with your “Star Wars” fandom/hatred/indifference, there is not any doubt that the prequels hit the mark the place the {dollars} and cents have been involved. In response to Field Workplace Mojo, Hayden Christensen’s entries, “Star Wars: Episode II – Assault of the Clones” and “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” earned greater than $1.5 billion worldwide on the field workplace mixed. Nevertheless, very similar to the crucial reception of a few of his later movies, Christensen’s different initiatives typically acquired a lukewarm reception on the field workplace.

“Jumper” fared the very best, grossing simply over $225 million worldwide in opposition to a reported manufacturing funds of $85 million, based on Field Workplace Mojo. Nevertheless, “Manufacturing facility Woman” by no means fairly received off the bottom, grossing simply $3.5 million. 2010’s “Vanishing on seventh Road” grossed even much less at about $1.7 million. Starring in field workplace flops proved to be a development for Christensen, and this continued into his later profession. Within the film enterprise, the place gate receipts in the end rule all, it might have despatched a message to studio executives that Christensen is not a bankable star. 

There was a interval within the years after the “Star Wars” prequels and follow-up initiatives like “Jumper” dropped through which Hayden Christensen all however vanished from the general public eye. Following the 2010 launch of “Vanishing on seventh Road,” Christensen took a voice position within the academic animated movie, “Quantum Quest: A Cassini Area Odyssey,” which was initiated by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Lab. He additionally made a cameo look as a safety guard within the music video for Canadian different rapper k-os’ music, “Zambony.” After that, although, it could be four-plus years earlier than audiences noticed him on the large display once more. In response to Christensen, the transfer to step away from the limelight was a calculated one.

“I assume I felt like I had this great point in ‘Star Wars’ that offered all these alternatives and gave me a profession, but it surely all sort of felt just a little too handed to me,” he advised the Los Angeles Instances in 2015. “I did not wish to undergo life feeling like I used to be simply driving a wave.” So, he did the alternative; he determined to get out of the rat race regardless of what the implications to his profession could be. “You may’t take years off and never have it have an effect on your profession,” he confessed to the publication. “However I do not know — in a bizarre, form of harmful approach, there was one thing interesting about that to me.”

Though Hayden Christensen stepped away from the highlight and located that transfer interesting, he had different causes past that “harmful” attract for hitting the pause button on his appearing profession. Particularly, he had a baby to boost. In 2007, Christensen and Rachel Bilson — who met due to “Jumper” — began relationship, and whereas the actors by no means married, their partnership would final for a decade. Bilson and Christensen in the end referred to as it quits in 2017, however Bilson gave delivery to the couple’s baby, Briar Rose Christensen, three years earlier. This resulted in a brand new set of priorities for the person who performed what was primarily Luke Skywalker’s absentee father within the “Star Wars” movies. In a 2024 interview with Fatherly, Christensen made no bones about the truth that parenthood had knowledgeable his huge profession resolution.

“Once I turned a dad that modified all the pieces in my life. It actually reprioritized issues for me. It is nonetheless the main focus of my world,” he stated. It is troublesome to argue that taking a years-long timeout did not halt his momentum as an actor. Nevertheless, Christensen needs to be counseled for placing his household over Hollywood fame. And if you happen to’re questioning if his child has binged “Star Wars,” the reply appears to be no, as Bilson would not need their daughter to see any of Christensen’s well-known movies attributable to their content material.

Clearly a lover of the craft of appearing, Hayden Christensen truly made his return to the career lengthy earlier than his “Star Wars” homecoming with “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and “Ahsoka.” After the aforementioned hiatus, he jumped again into the fray with the movies “American Heist,” alongside Adrien Brody, “Outcast,” alongside Nicolas Cage, and “90 Minutes in Heaven,” alongside Kate Bosworth, all of which have been launched throughout 2014 and 2015. Sadly for the previous Darth Vader, none of those initiatives did a lot to get him again into the dialog as an actor to steer a big-budget, blockbuster venture.

“American Heist” was solely proven on a handful of screens domestically and grossed simply $2.9 million worldwide on the worldwide field workplace, based on Field Workplace Mojo. It additionally garnered an mixture critics’ rating of simply 13% on Rotten Tomatoes. In the meantime, neither of the opposite two movies grossed greater than $5.2 million or scored increased than 27%. So, whereas Christensen confirmed a willingness to get again on the market and share his abilities with the world, he hasn’t been in a position to reclaim a spot as a number one man or key piece to an ensemble solid for a significant manufacturing that moviegoers wish to see.

Youth is at all times valued at a premium in Hollywood and within the leisure world at massive. For his half, Hayden Christensen was nonetheless a young person when he was solid by George Lucas to play the position of Anakin Skywalker (and, finally, Darth Vader). The blockbuster franchises to comply with Christensen’s prequel run, just like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the “Starvation Video games” saga, the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy, and others, are largely launched on the backs of rising performers. Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth, for instance, have been each of their mid- to late-20s after they have been solid as Captain America and Thor, respectively. Jennifer Lawrence — who paradoxically considers herself the worst a part of “The Starvation Video games” — was simply getting into her 20s when she turned Katniss Everdeen. And the examples go on and on.

Previous criticism and dangerous luck on the field workplace however, the reality of Christensen’s transfer to the cinematic sidelines could have extra to do with the truth that he is largely aged out of the roles that make waves with the popcorn crowd. His current resurgence with the “Star Wars” collection on Disney+ has proven he nonetheless has so much to supply, and followers have clearly come round on him if his now common ovations at Star Wars Celebration are any indication. In the long run, although, studio executives will typically favor the following huge factor over the tried-and-true hand.