The evolution of the call to be Darth Vader wanted to honor George Lucas’ creation in what would be the greatest villain of ‘Star Wars’
The actor Hayden Christensen has revealed how he shaped his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker, giving his own version of the character in his speech at the FAN EXPO in Philadelphia, since in recent years, the actor has reprized the role of Anakin in ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ and ‘Ahsoka’. But he was not the first actor in playing the role; Jake Lloyd played him in ‘Star Wars: The Phantom Menace’, and it seems he had a key influence on him.
Vader’s origin from actor to actor
Speaking at the ‘Hayden Christensen and Rosario Dawson: A Galactic Reunion’ panel, Christensen revealed that he carefully studied Lloyd’s gestures and even copied some of them. The most recognizable was the iconic half smile that became the main feature of all versions from Anakin. In this way, viewers were intended to have a sense of continuity, even through different iterations.
Christensen always understood that Anakin Skywalker was not his character, but rather that he simply embodied a creation of George Lucas that had already been played by other actors. In a sense, Christensen He did not appropriate the role like many other actors, but rather “borrowed it” and tried to honor those who had done it. According to him, he sought out other representations of Anakin and let them influence his own portrayal of him.
This approach influences the way of seeing ‘Star Wars’ films and series, since journeys of specific characters are observed that transform them, the franchise and the role are larger than the performer, as is the case with Obi Wan as well and the change from Alec Guinness to Ewan McGregor, or Han Solo and Harrison Ford and Alden Ehrenreich.
In Espinof:
