How Tall Is Hayden Christensen? When Did He Play Anakin Skywalker In Star Wars?

Hayden Christensen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on April 19, 1981. He has three acting-related siblings. Tove Christensen, a renowned producer with acting credits in programs like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is probably the most well-known of these siblings. Hayden Christensen was brought up in Ontario despite being a Vancouver native. As a youngster, he excelled in sports, joining provincial hockey teams and playing tennis.

As a young child, Hayden also fostered a burgeoning enthusiasm for performing. He would see his grandmother in Long Island, New York, over the summer. This sent him to the Actors Studio in New York City, where he received acting training in preparation for a career. When his sister’s acting agency noticed him, he began performing. Hayden Christensen joined the agency and started getting commercial jobs of his own after going with her to collect her cheque for a Pringles ad.

Table of Contents

Where Did Hayden Christensen Start His Actig Career?

Early in the 1990s, Hayden Christensen made his acting debut in the German-Canadian television series Family Passions. With John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness the following year, he got his first acting break. He then appeared in films like Harrison Bergeron and The Virgin Suicides and TV shows like Goosebumps, Forever Knight, and Are You Afraid of the Dark.

After appearing in the television series Higher Ground in the year 2000, Christensen gained additional recognition from a global audience. Christensen portrayed a teenager in the series who had been sexually assaulted by his mother, contributing to his character’s drug addiction. He later gained even more fame after playing a role in the movie Life as a House, which got him multiple nominations for awards. Despite this, the movie was a bit of a surprise success. The following year, Christensen co-starred with Jake Gyllenhaal, and Anna Paquin in a London theatre production of This is Our Youth.

Christensen announced that he would play the adult Anakin Skywalker in Episodes II and III after the Star Wars saga was revived with Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Even though many fans and critics didn’t enjoy his performances, the part ended up defining his entire career. While Episode III is considered one of Lucas’ best Star Wars films, Episode II is typically considered one of his worst. Both movies had outstanding box office results.

How Did Hayden Christensen Successful In His Acting Career?

The 41-year-old was already interested in performing as a young child. His frequent trips to Long Island, New York, to see his grandmother finally brought him to the Actors Studio, where he received his professional acting training. When his sister’s acting agency saw him, he began doing commercials.

He started his acting career formally in the early 1990s with the German-Canadian television series Family Passions. The Virgin Suicides, Goosebumps, Forever Knight, Harrison Bergeron, The Virgin Suicides, and Are You Afraid of the Dark followed his acting debut in In the Mouth of Madness. He gained notoriety in the 2000s thanks to Higher Ground and won praise for the film Life as a House. Additionally, he entered the theatre community and participated in the This is Our Youth play.

He joined the cast of Star Wars Episodes II and III, playing the adult Anakin Skywalker after the Star Wars saga was revived with Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The rest is history after that. This defined Hayden Christensen’s entire career, which increased his notoriety. Then he performed Factory Girl, Virgin Territory, Shattered Glass, Awake, Jumper, and New York; I Love You.

When Did He Play Anakin Skywalker In Star Wars?

Hayden’s role as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and its sequel, Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, was first revealed in May 2000. Hayden is said to have been chosen by George Lucas and his team after they interviewed more than 1,500 performers; according to Lucas, he did so because Hayden “had the presence of the Dark Side.”

Even though both of these movies occasionally receive negative reviews, anyone who hasn’t turned to the Dark Side knows that the Prequels are lovely, largely thanks to Hayden’s performance as Anakin. Many people’s first encounter with Hayden as an actor was in Attack Of The Clones, which also gave viewers their first look at Darth Vader’s personality before he developed into the villain we know today from the Original Trilogy.

In this movie, Anakin’s use of force was never fully appreciated since he was madly in love with Natalie Portman’s Princess Amidala. But in Revenge Of The Sith, Hayden was given a chance to experience the Dark Side completely, carry out the infamous Order 66, and ultimately transform into Darth Vader.

Is Hayden Christensen Married?

Christensen is a single person. But from 2007 to 2017, he had a ten-year romance with the actress Rachel Bilson. The couple got engaged in 2008 after meeting while filming Jumper. Midway through 2010, they split up, but soon after, they reconciled. Briar Rose, the couple’s first child, was born in 2014 to Bilson.

It’s unclear if Christensen has been dating anyone since the couple split up in 2017. However, following her breakup with the actor, Bilson has been linked to Bill Hader, Rami Malek, and Nick Viall.