Star Wars’ Hayden Christensen Believed His Anakin Skywalker Role Would Go to Leonardo DiCaprio

Hayden Christensen did not believe he would be cast as Anakin Skywalker after learning that several other actors had already auditioned for the Star Wars role. Today, the actor is synonymous with the dual role of Anakin and Darth Vader, but almost 22 years ago, Christensen was certain the role would go to Titanic star, Leonardo DiCaprio.

Christensen first played the Jedi on a journey to the Dark Side of the Force in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, but he did not take it as a given that the role was one he could win. When Christensen heard about all the acting competition stacked up against him, he thought Skywalker would end up being played by another performer. Christensen said in an interview with Empire:

“I had heard that they’d met with Leonardo and a bunch of other actors. That just confirmed my thought that the role would go to another actor. Through the entire auditioning process I had told myself, from day one, that I wasn’t going to get the part. It just wasn’t a possibility. And I think that probably helped me a lot, because it just freed me up in a lot of ways. And so it really came as a surprise to me when I got the part.”

Christensen continued:

“The scope of the opportunity — the enormity of it all — was exciting to me. It was obviously a little daunting too, but there’s a saying: ‘Pressure is privilege.’ I just felt very lucky to have it. I was really thrilled that I was gonna get to express George’s [Lucas] mapping out of how someone goes from good to bad.”

Seduced by the Dark Side & Toys

Hayden Christensen first donned the Jedi robes of Anakin Skywalker back in 2002, when he was still a teenager. His initial appearance in the franchise drew a considerable amount of criticism, which has seen Christensen speak out in defense of his performance. There’s no question that his portrayal of Anakin in the Skywalker-turned-Vader storyline of Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith helped the film become a box office hit, with an $868.4 million worldwide gross. Commenting on how daunting it was to put his name forward for the role, Christensen said in the same interview:

“I was 18, and I got a call from my agent saying that they were casting for Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars. And I thought, ‘Wow, how cool.’ But it just seemed too big. And I remember asking my agent, ‘Is there maybe another role that they’re also casting right now that you can put me up for? Because Anakin sort of seems unattainable.’ And there was not. So, I threw my name in the hat like everyone else.”

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Before the Dark Side seduced him into becoming Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker was one of the wisest Jedi in the entire Star Wars franchise.

Today, Christensen continues to portray the role of Anakin Skywalker, most recently in the Disney+ series Ahsoka, but his love of Star Wars blossomed years before he ever auditioned for Attack of the Clones. As it turns out, Christensen’s brother introduced him to Star Wars toys before he had even seen the films. Christensen continued:

“My earliest memories of Star Wars are through my older brother. I was first introduced to the characters through all the toys he had. He had everything, the Millennium Falcon, Star Wars bedsheets… And he was the one that showed me the films for the first time. I was 11 or 12, and I instantly became a fan as well. But it was really the merchandising that first captivated my imagination. The characters meant something to me, even before I had seen the films.”