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Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker received a lot of flack during the initial screenings of the latter two films that came out in the Prequel trilogy. People though that Christensen portrayed the character in a stiff and stilted manner, possibly ruining the origin story of one of fiction’s greatest villains.
However, despite all the backlash that the character received, there were still those who actually loved how Christensen portrayed Anakin Skywalker, and among them was Hollywood legend, Nicolas Cage. The duo worked together in the 2014 filmOutcast, but Cage revealed that he had been a fan of Christensen’s work for quite some time.
Nicolas Cage was taken by Hayden Christensen’s acting ability
Speaking with IGN (viaCheatSheet), Cage revealed how he liked Vader and Anakin’s portrayal in the Prequel films, and praised how he was able to respond to the actor’s eyes. He said:
Plus he has a look in his eyes that I respond to. Because it almost feels familial. He’s got that sad thing in his eyes that I’ve always been accused of having in my eyes. I thought we would be a good match on camera together – it just seemed like a good fit. And I’m happy to say it worked out. He’s also a lovely man – he’s a very nice man. And I hope to continue our friendship.
Nicolas Cagewas very fond ofHayden Christensenand showed support for his character at a time when it was widely panned among Star Wars fans. Only in recent years has the character been getting the respect it deserves, mostly thanks toThe Clone Warsanimated series and the return of the actor for various Star Wars shows.
Hayden Christensen revealed how he felt about all the criticism of his character
Hayden Christensen, speaking withEmpire Magazine, revealed how he felt about all the criticism levied towards his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker.
However, in a way, much like Henry Cavill, the actor understood where the fans came from, and talked to the magazine about how the critics’ and audiences’ reactions affected him. He said:
Because Star Wars has had the cultural impact that it has, these characters almost become public domain, where people feel a sense of ownership over them. The character was criticized, my performance was criticized, and that part sucked.
But I also felt like I had some context that perhaps helped a little bit. When Episode I came out, there was a lot of excitement that they were making a new Star Wars, and it was going to be the backstory of Darth Vader
The actor would be welcomed back to the franchise with thunderous applause for shows likeAhsokaandObi-Wan Kenobi. Hayden Christensen is expected to make an appearance in more entries in the franchise as well, especiallyAhsokaSeason 2 andThe Mandalorian and Grogufilm.
Star Wars can be streamed on Disney+
Anuraag Chatterjee
Content Writer
Articles Published :1633
Anuraag Chatterjee, Web Content WriterWith a passion for writing fiction and non fiction content, Anuraag is a Media Science graduate with 2 year’s experience with Marketing and Content, with 3 published poetry anthologies. Anuraag holds a Bacherlor’s degree in Arts with a focus on Communication and Media Studies.
