‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’: This is how Hayden Christensen has transformed into Darth Vader

When he first stepped into the shoes of Anakin Skywalker, Hayden Christensen (Vancouver, Canada, 1981) “I was 19 years old. Just a few months before, she was in the high school troupe.”tells in a virtual talk to FOTOGRAMAS on the occasion of the premiere of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’the Disney + series with which he returns, almost 20 years later, to that galaxy far away that launched him to stardom.

From the farm in Tatooine, to the farm in Canada

“It was an experience that changed my life,” continues the Canadian actor. “Since I finished the prequels, I’ve enjoyed the ‘Star Wars’ universe as a fan: watching the new movies and series or reading the comics and different novels,” he explains. “Now I am 41 years old, I am the father of a girl and almost a different person, but to have the opportunity to return to the saga and play it again has been very special.” A return that, in his case, has some poetic justice: his leading role in the prequels predicted a meteoric career that did not come to fruition. In fact, the Canadian, who before being chosen by George Lucas in a casting that was also chosen by Paul Walker, Heath Ledger or Leonardo DiCaprio, had already had small roles in films such as ‘In the mouth of fear’ (John Carpenter, 1994 ) or ‘The Virgin Suicides’ (Sofia Coppola, 1999) has only participated in seven projects in the last decade. “But that does not mean anything. I just have other interests. I love being an actor, I am passionate about it, but I also enjoy doing other things, ”explains the interpreter who, in recent years, has focused his efforts on running a farm in Ontario.

sympathy for the dark side

Asked what the Darth Vader is like that viewers will see in ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’, Christensen first gives us the background: “10 years have passed since the events of the end of ‘Revenge of the Sith,'” he explains about the conclusion from Episode III in which we see Anakin Skywalker disappear and Darth Vader be born. “He has had a lot of time to reflect on the decisions he has made. He is a very complex character. Many things pass and feel under that mask. On the one hand, he is still in the process of assuming what it means to live imprisoned in that suit, all the limitations that are linked to it… He has many internal conflicts, the pain of losing Padme and his relationship with the Jedi Order, especially with Obi-Wan Kenobi. What he wants most is to find him and settle the scores they have pending. Everything refers to Vader’s perception of himself, a kind of struggle for his own identity, to understand and accept who he is now. And I think he plays a very important role there. his desire to kill Obi-Wan, because killing him also kills that part of himself that causes him pain. He is a very layered character. What’s exciting here is that we get to see what Darth Vader is really like.”

The many faces behind the mask

Hayden Christensen thus returns to embody a character that, he assumes, many fans feel as their own and close as himself: “These stories and characters, and with them that of Darth Vader, are almost in the public domain, so surely there will be those who believe that they have many things to say about it”, He says aware that the return of the Lord of the Sith and future Supreme Commander of the Imperial Fleet will be examined with a magnifying glass. “When you play a character, you have to have a sense of ownership over it. But Darth Vader has always been a collective product: There are many people who have contributed to what this character is and means. And I am one of them. Interpreting it again, exploring it more in depth, adds an extra responsibility to me precisely towards, for example, George Lucas. But also with James Earl Jones, Sebastian Shaw, Bob Anderson and David Prowse. He is an incredible character that has transcended popular culture, being part of this phenomenon is amazing. ”