Hayden Christensen Almost Lost His Star Wars Gig to… Leo DiCaprio
When he learned who the other candidates for the role of Anakin were, the actor thought there was no chance for him to get the part.
Summary:
- After his debut as Anakin Skywalker in Episode II, Hayden Christensen faced a massive backlash for his performance
- Over the years, however, fans have warmed up to him quite a bit, and celebrated his return to the franchise in 2022
- In a recent interview, Christensen revealed that he never thought he would actually get the role when he heard about other candidates
The Star Wars franchise has been around for almost fifty years at this point, so it comes as no surprise that countless actors and actresses have starred in it at various points.
However, for every character that has appeared over the years, there have been several alternative casting choices that never really worked out for a variety of reasons.
Hayden Christensen Faced Major Backlash for His Portrayal of Anakin
_30522.webp)
When Hayden Christensen was chosen to portray Anakin Skywalker in 2002's Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, it caused considerable controversy among fans, which only got worse when they actually saw the actor on the big screen.
They were not impressed with his portrayal of Anakin, finding it hard to believe that this weird and unstable young man would eventually become the legendary Sith Lord whose very presence instills fear in both his enemies and allies.
To be fair, many fans have reevaluated their position on the actor's performance many years later, warming to it and celebrating Christensen's return to the franchise in 2022.
Christensen He Had Lost Before the Audition Even Began
_30522.webp)
During a recent interview with Empire, the actor mentioned that he thought he would never get the role when he found out who the other candidates for the Jedi role were.
When he heard that the makers of Episode II had a meeting with a whole bunch of other actors, including none other than Leonardo DiCaprio himself, who was already a huge star after 1997's Titanic, Christensen felt like he had already lost.
But even though he thought there was no chance of success, he still went through with the audition, and Christensen's fatalistic attitude actually proved helpful, as it took some of the pressure off.
_30522.webp)
Given all this, when he actually got the part, it was a huge surprise for the actor. He felt incredibly lucky to be portraying one of the most important characters in the entire Star Wars franchise.
Fans point out that it would undoubtedly have been curious to see DiCaprio's take on Anakin, as he was more visually similar to the child we saw in Episode I, but it is unlikely that the backlash would have been any less.
_30522.webp)
After all, the biggest problem with the prequels was poor writing, which tainted the performances of the cast, many of whom were immensely talented actors.
Furthermore, Christensen proved with his performance in the Ahsoka TV series that he can do a great job as Anakin when given good material to work with.