Hayden Christensen wants to play Darth Vader in more “Star Wars” projects
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The actor says his recent appearances have "definitely reignited a spark in me to want to work more."
The return of Hayden Christensen to the Star Wars universe in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka has been the ultimate win-win. It’s been a win for fans delighted to see the Anakin Skywalker-turned-Darth Vader actor back in the fold. And it’s been a win for Christensen as well, who has felt reinvigorated by his reunion with a lightsaber.
The Star Wars luminary sat down with EW’s Dagobah Dispatch podcast to talk all about his voyage back to a galaxy far, far away, explaining how he was like “a giddy little boy” when first reading the episode 5 script for Ahsoka that re-introduced Anakin in the World between Worlds. Now, in part two of our discussion, Christensen explains what it was like working on a Star Wars project without George Lucas, how being in the franchise in his 40s is different than when he first signed on as teenager, what it’s like to go back and watch himself in the prequel films, and whether he wants to continue playing the Dark Lord of the Sith. Read on for the second half of the chat, or listen to the entire interview on the latest episode of the Dagobah Dispatch.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You have some ownership of this character, obviously, so were there ever times with Dave Filoni on Ahsoka or with Deborah Chow on Obi-Wan Kenobi where something didn’t track for you and you wanted to talk it out with them?
HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN: Honestly, I was always following their lead. Both of them are such smart storytellers, they really know what they're doing. And on this one, working with Dave Filoni, it was such an inspiring experience because he knows the world so well, and it's all from his time spent with George Lucas. And you get a sense of that. It felt like there was this proverbial torch that had been passed down. And so every day on set with Dave was really exciting and it was inspiring — not just for me, but for everyone. You can see the effect that he has on the rest of the cast and the crew, and that's a big deal that counts for a lot.
What was it like doing these two Star Wars projects without George Lucas there?
At first, I felt like I was cheating on him a little bit. [Laughs] But it's a different time for Star Wars now, and I think it's really exciting that we now have this period where there are other storytellers coming in and giving their take on the universe. But, of course, it all goes back to the maker, and George Lucas is very much in the front of everyone's mind when we're making a decision and we want to make stuff that he would be happy with for sure.
Did you at least know this time that you were going to be a Force Ghost at the end of Ahsoka, as opposed to Return to the Jedi, when that was a surprise to you?
Yes, they told me this time. And I got to know what I was shooting when I was shooting it.
How is it different being part of this massive pop culture juggernaut in your 40s as opposed to being a teenager when you first signed on? How has your perspective in that regard changed with time and age?
Every day you get to go work on a Star Wars project, it's really thrilling, and that's never lost on me. When I was doing the prequels, every day I was there, I was very aware of how fortunate I was. And the same is true now. I think as I've gotten a bit older, I have perhaps a greater appreciation and more of an awareness of the impact of these stories and what they mean to so many people. And so that, if anything, elevates the stakes even more. But honestly, every time I've gotten to swing a lightsaber, it's been a good day.
DIsney+
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker on 'Ahsoka'What’s it like when you go back and watch yourself from 20 years ago in those films?
I've done it a few times now in preparation for these last couple of projects. And it is certainly a heavy dose of nostalgia and you're sort of transported back to that time in your life and when we were making those films. But I look back fondly on those films and the work that we did. Any time I watch a performance of mine, it's hard not to be self-critical, and “I wish I had made this decision versus that decision,” and that's always going to be the case. But those films have aged well in my opinion, and I'm very proud of those films. So it has just been really nice to get to come back and do more with the character that has meant so much to me and that I really care about. And that has had such a significant impact on my life.
Even after the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, there’s almost a decade of unfilled blanks there before A New Hope. Would you be open to filling those blanks in and playing the Dark Lord of the Sith again?
I would love to get to do more, and I'd love to get to continue with Star Wars and we'll see. I don't know what the future holds, and if such an opportunity presents itself, I'll be there with a big smile on my face. And if it doesn't, I feel really grateful for getting to come back and getting to do the work that I did in both Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.
Anyone that’s watched Life as a House or Shattered Glass knows your range as an actor outside of this franchise, so what’s your interest level in terms of taking on some non-Star Wars projects?
Yeah, it's definitely reignited a spark in me to want to work more. And prior to coming back to Obi-Wan, I'd sort of taken a long break from acting, but now I'm in a place where I am reading a lot, and if I can find a project that I'm passionate about, then that's definitely the aim.
Listen to the full conversation with Hayden Christensen on EW's Dagobah Dispatch podcast.
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Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.
