Fan Expo Dallas: Hayden Christensen Recalls His ‘Star Wars’ Journey
by Tom Smithyman
Hayden Christensen has faced many difficult decisions over his acting career. Returning to fill Darth Vader’s armor in last year’s Obi-Wan series wasn’t one of them.
“It was the easiest decision of my life,” Christensen told a packed panel session Saturday at Fan Expo Dallas.
As with many of the Star Wars prequel actors, when Christensen finished filming Revenge of the Sith, he figured his journey as Anakin Skywalker was over.
Then a phone call from Obi-Wan director Deborah Chow changed everything. She asked to meet with him to see if he would be interested in returning as Darth Vader, who fans hadn’t seen Christensen portray on screen for 17 years.
“I was just so pleased to get the invitation and swing the lightsaber again,” Christensen said.
Christensen recalled that his personal Star Wars journey started with his older brother’s toys, including a Luke Skywalker action figure, a Millenium Falcon playset and Star Wars bedsheets.
And, of course, lightsabers. Playing with those laser swords – and the associated sounds that they made in the movies – ended up getting him in a bit of trouble with prequels director George Lucas. Christensen said he kept making the sounds even when he was being filmed. That led to a number of reshoots.
“At first, I had a very hard time not doing it,” he said. “It’s like muscle memory from being a kid.”
That fun time at play helped to prepare him for the months of training required to shoot the climactic scene in Sith when Obi-Wan Kenobi defeats Skywalker in an epic lightsaber duel on the lava planet Mustafar. Christensen said it took about a week to shoot the scene – one of the longest sword fights in cinematic history.
The love and enthusiasm from the Star Wars community was on display during the panel, which some fans spent upwards of $80 each attend. Earlier in the day, he signed hundreds of pictures, Anakin dolls and lightsabers and then posed for hundreds more photos with fans.
One couple even handed him an envelope and ask him to perform an ad hoc gender reveal party. Christensen seemed eager to officiate.
For the record, it’s a girl!
