The actor who took on the role of Darth Vader in the George Lucas-created science fiction franchise has 'a greater appreciation' for the story now that he gets older.
- Dec 24, 2023
AceShowbiz - Hayden Christensen has always felt the thrill of working on "Star Wars". The 42-year-old actor has played Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in both movies and TV shows in the legendary sci-fi franchise and knows how "fortunate" he is to have the part.
"Every day you get to go to 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," Hayden told Entertainment Weekly's Dagobah Dispatch podcast.
"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."
Hayden first played the role of the antagonist in the prequel trilogy in the 2000s and looks back with pride at the work he did after revisiting the pictures for the Disney+ shows "Obi-Wan Kenobi" and "Ahsoka".
Asked what it's like to watch his performances back, he said, "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."
