When the prequels of the Star Wars series were being filmed, the production team had to manage their playful cast. Can you guess what Hayden Christensen did during the shoot? Let’s find out.
George Lucas had to stop filming during lightsaber battles. Lucas had to ask Hayden Christensen to stop making lightsaber sound effects, to which Christensen was unaware he was making lightsaber sounds.
Who is Hayden Christensen?
Hayden Christensen was born to Alie and David Christensen on April 19, 1981, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. His mother was a speechwriter, and his father worked as a computer programmer and communications executive. Christensen has Danish, Swedish, and Italian ancestry from his parents.
Christensen made his acting debut in September 1993. He portrayed a character named ‘Skip McDeere’ in a German-Canadian show titled Family Passions. He was twelve then. Christensen made his film debut in In the Mouth of Madness. He also appeared in the film Life as a House, earning him two awards and several nominations in 2001.
Christensen’s career took off after appearing in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones in 2002. The picture, directed by George Lucas, was a box office hit. Christensen achieved widespread acclaim for his depiction of ‘Anakin Skywalker.’
He also received two prizes and was nominated for several others. In Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, he resumed his role as ‘Anakin Skywalker.’ Both films were critical and commercial successes, establishing Christensen’s popularity.
Christensen won several awards for his performances, including a Cannes Film Festival Award for Male Revelation and six nominations for his performance in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
Christensen has played different roles after his Anakin Skywalker character. He appeared in Factory Girl, Virgin Territory, New York, I Love You, and Vanishing on 7th Street.
Christensen was also in films such as American Heist and 90 Minutes in Heaven. He was also cast in the movie First Kill alongside Bruce Willis. Christensen was seen in the Canadian-American romantic comedy film Little Italy and also in The Last Man. (Source: The Famous People)
Christensen on Lightsaber Duels and Fight Scenes
Christensen admitted he had difficulty in filming for the Star Wars lightsaber battles. In one of his interviews, Christensen stated that he often gets caught off-guard whenever they film lightsaber battles. He reverts to his childhood and remembers mouthing off the sounds a lightsaber gives off.
I had been conditioned from a very young age to make the sound effect when I’m swinging a lightsaber. I know this is something that Ewan maybe struggled with a little bit too. It was a difficult habit to break. And I remember on a couple of occasions George would come over after we had filmed a fight scene and in a very encouraging way would say, ‘Hayden, that looks great but, I can see your mouth moving, and you don’t have to do that. We add the sound effects afterward.’ I was just so focused I wasn’t even aware I was doing it.
Hayden Christensen
(Source: Cinema Blend)