Star Wars veteran Hayden Christensen talks about what it’s like being in the Darth Vader costume. Christensen made his first appearance in the Lucasfilm franchise with 2002’s Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, playing Anakin Skywalker as a young adult. He then went on to play Anakin again in Revenge of the Sith, where he was able to wear a Darth Vader suit that was made just for him. This was done instead of him wearing the suit that was made for David Prowse in the original trilogy, resulting in a more custom fit.
In a video for GQ, Christensen discussed his experience wearing the Darth Vader suit for the first time while filming Revenge of the Sith. Christensen first says that George Lucas and his creative team weren’t initially planning to have him in the iconic suit, though he was ultimately able to convince Lucas to have a suit made. Christensen says that it was a challenging suit to move around with, telling Lucas that he couldn’t move as well as he thought he would, but called the moment when the helmet drops on his head a “remarkable experience.” Read the full quote below:
I found out that they were not planning having me be in the Darth Vader suit, and I was a little bummed about that. So I spoke to George Lucas and I asked him, and he was kind enough to oblige. I think there’s something nice about knowing that it’s the actor in the costume as well, but it was really just for my benefit. It was a challenging suit to move around, and I told George, I was like, “Look, I don’t know that I can move as well as I thought I’d be able to.” And he was like, “It’s okay, it’s supposed to be your first time in the suit, so if it’s a little rigid and awkward, he was like, that’s a good thing, actually.”
When the helmet goes on, and you’re just totally enclosed in this costume, it was a remarkable experience, just because you could see people’s reaction to seeing Vader for the first time. People who were usually very assertive became a little more timid, and they’d kind of like not wanna make eye contact with you. I had good fun with that.
Hayden Christensen Is The Perfect Anakin Skywalker … & Darth Vader
Upon further review, Christensen actually gave a solid performance with the lines he was given, especially in Revenge of the Sith , when Anakin and Obi-Wan finally part ways, where Christensen gives a heartbreaking performance.
While the fandom of Star Wars loves him now, Christensen initially garnered a lot of hate for his portrayal of Anakin. He was labeled as too melodramatic and some sort of whiny brat before ultimately gaining the hearts of fans. This initial negative reception, however, could be due to the lackluster and melodramatic writing. Upon further review, Christensen actually gave a solid performance with the lines he was given, especially in Revenge of the Sith, when Anakin and Obi-Wan finally part ways, where Christensen gives a heartbreaking performance.
Now, there’s little doubt that Christensen was the perfect choice for Anakin. What many forget is that Anakin was only around the age of 19 in Attack of the Clones, so there’s space for melodrama. Christensen’s full live-action return to the character came when he appeared in Ahsoka. Here, the star shined as his relationship with Ahsoka is that of a mentor and student, displaying the gentler but firm side of Anakin, giving wise advice to his former Padawan.
One of the more hyped-up returns of Christensen, however, was his portrayal of Darth Vader in Disney’s Obi-Wan Kenobi prior to Ahsoka, where the actor gets to put on Vader’s suit and finally play the beloved character after only briefly playing Vader in Revenge of the Sith. In Obi-Wan Kenobi, it’s clear that Christensen did his homework, channeling the stiff but dangerous posture of Vader, as if Prowse himself were in the suit, prompting a positive and excited reception from fans who want to see more from Christensen in Star Wars.