Hayden Christensen talks about feeling indebted to George Lucas for casting him in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. When Lucas introduced audiences to a galaxy far, far away, and forever changed cinema in 1977, Darth Vader became one of the most iconic villains of all time. 16 years after the original Star Wars trilogy, Lucas decided to explore the fall of the Republic and the rise of Vader in his prequel trilogy.

Following Jake Lloyd’s adolescent Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace, Lucas needed an actor who had the presence of the Dark Side of the Force. He found the Jedi who would go on the become Vader in then 19-year-old Hayden Christensen, who played the “Chosen One” in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The prequels were infamously critiqued in a rather harsh manner upon release, with many taking issue with the seemingly clunky dialogue and even Christensen’s performance. Both he and Ewan McGregor have said backlash to the Star Wars prequels affected their relationship with franchise for many years. However, the pair recently returned to the galaxy for the first time since Revenge of the Sith in Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, and audiences are overjoyed. This year also marked 20 years since Attack of the Clones hit theaters, and Christensen looked back on the film that changed his life.

Related: Hayden Christensen’s Clone Wars Deep Dive Is Great For His Vader Return

Last week's Star Wars Celebration 2022 in Anaheim, California honored the 20th anniversary of Attack of the Clones with a panel hosted by Ahsoka voice actress Ashley Eckstein. In attendance were stars Anthony Daniels, Temeura Morrison, Daniel Logan, visual effects supervisor John Knoll, production designer Doug Chiang, and sound supervisor Matthew Wood. 45 minutes into the panel, McGregor and Christensen made a surprise appearance, with the latter calling Lucas’ “gift” the “greatest honor” of his career. Read the full quote (via Disneyland Experience) below:

"Getting to work with George Lucas and follow his lead and bring this character to life was easily the greatest honor of my professional career, and I guess I always felt like he gave me this amazing gift in this character, and I've always felt a bit indebted to him.”

Hayden Christensen Feels Indebted to George Lucas Over Star Wars Role

On the press tour for Obi-Wan Kenobi, Christensen recalled the day he was cast as Anakin Skywalker. The now 41-year-old actor shared the story of how, after the important call, he and his roommate lit up imaginary lightsabers and had a duel around their apartment while they played the soundtrack to Episode I. First and foremost, Christensen was a fan like the ones who grew up watching Star Wars, and had a hard time with Lucas’ vision for the prequels in the wake of the beloved original trilogy. However, Christensen has since stuck by Lucas' storyline and defended what many viewed as weak scripting in the prequel trilogy, emphasizing his immense respect for the director.

The prequel trilogy and Christensen's casting defined an entire generation’s idea of Star Wars. The love for Attack of the Clones and its companion pieces has grown exponentially since 2002, and Christensen and company have since felt that love at events like Star Wars Celebration. Since returning as Anakin/Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, Christensen called this new appreciation for the Star Wars prequels “really heartwarming,” and expressed his gratitude that Lucas' second trilogy was being recognized. Suffice to say, many now feel as indebted to Christensen as he does to the acclaimed director for bringing the young Anakin to life so memorably.

More: How Old Is Darth Vader In Obi-Wan Kenobi

Source: Disneyland Experience/YouTube

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