In the galaxy far, far away, the iconic role of Anakin Skywalker almost had a different face. Just like any sane-minded budding actor would, Hayden Christensen thought that if there’s Leonardo DiCaprio in the audition ring, it’s likely to go home with a ‘No’.
The actor of ‘Star Wars’ iconic Darth Vader was just 18 years old when he auditioned for the part. A young actor in the swamp of big names, it was natural for Hayden to accept the defeat but fate had otherworldly success in store for him.
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The Possibility Of Christensen Losing Anakin To Leonardo DiCaprio
In an exclusive interview with Empire magazine, the 42-year-old actor opened up about his thought process during the auditioning process of what would only be the biggest role of his career. Young Hayden had thrown her hopes down the well when he learned he was up against Hollywood heavyweight Leonardo DiCaprio.
The actor recalled, “Through the entire auditioning process, I had told myself, from day one, that I wasn’t going to get the part. It just wasn’t a possibility.” Surprisingly, Christensen considers the lack of confidence in securing the part as a boon for him. Explaining the idea he said, “I think that probably helped me a lot because it just freed me up in a lot of ways.” The realization liberated him from fretting over being perfect which allowed him to be authentic. That authentic performance caught the eye of ‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas and the casting team and changed his life.
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Hayden Christensen’s Disbelief Upon Getting The Part
Christensen described the moment when the call finally came confirming his casting as Anakin Skywalker, as a big surprise. He began, “It really came as a surprise to me when I got the part.”
Adding, “The scope of the opportunity — the enormity of it all — was exciting to me.” Acknowledging the pressure that comes with such a colossal role, the ‘Ashoka’ star admitted, “It was obviously a little daunting too, but there’s a saying: ‘Pressure is privilege.'”
The ‘Star Wars’ star concluded the conversation with praises for the creator George Lucas’s vision of his character. How he smoothly worked in Darth Vader’s transformation saying, “I just felt very lucky to have it. I was really thrilled that I was gonna get to express Star Wars creator George Lucas’ mapping out of how someone goes from good to bad.”
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