Hayden Christensen takes it all in “Takers”

After portraying a thief who can teleport himself anywhere in the 2008 hit “Jumper,” Hayden Christensen now plays a more earth-bound bank robber in Columbia Pictures’ new action-thriller “Takers.”

A recent No. 1 box-office  hit in the U.S., “Takers” also stars Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Idris Elba, Jay Hernandez, Michael Ealy, Tip “T.I.” Harris and Chris Brown.

In the film, a group of high-living young criminals bankroll their extravagant lifestyle with a series of painstakingly planned bank robberies while a dedicated police officer makes it his personal mission to stop them. After years of meticulously planned heists, the crew is convinced by one of their own to risk it all for one last big score, but pulling off the job of a lifetime with a dogged detective and a vicious rival gang on their tail is a tall order, even for these seasoned pros.

Hayden Christensen as AJ, an Ivy League golden boy with a taste for classic jazz and blues and a pivotal member of the heist crew. “Hayden brought in so many good ideas,” says director John Luessenhop. “He was always very thoughtful about what he was working on and how he wanted to do things. And in fact, he was usually right. He’s got great judgment and really brought the character to life. Right now, I can’t imagine anyone but Hayden as AJ.”

Christensen is probably most famous for his role as Anakin Skywalker in the “Star Wars” series, which garnered him some unwanted attention while shooting. “People in L.A. try to be very cool about seeing actors and watching films shot,” says co-star Paul Walker. “But, you know, the kid in all of us can’t help but get a little excited sometimes. ‘Oh, Anakin’s over there!’ It happened a couple of times and we never let him live it down.”

Hayden recently starred in Doug Liman’s sci-fi action film “Jumper,” opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Rachel Bilson. Christensen played David Rice, a man with the power to teleport himself around the globe who finds himself relentlessly pursued by a secret organization sworn to kill all “jumpers.” The film grossed more than $220 million worldwide. Christensen was next seen in “New York, I Love You” opposite Orlando Bloom, Julie Christie, Robin Wright, Kevin Bacon, Ethan Hawke, Natalie Portman, Rachel Bilson and Shia LaBeouf. The film is an anthology that joins several love stories set in one of the most beloved cities in the world, New York.

Christensen first gained critical acclaim for his role as a troubled teenager in Irwin Winkler’s 2001 drama “Life as a House,” costarring Kevin Kline. For his performance, Christensen was nominated for a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award. Christensen also received the award for Best Breakthrough Performance from the National Board of Review.

Other film credits include George Hickenlooper’s “Factory Girl,” Sofia Coppola’s “The Virgin Suicides,” Sarah Kernochan’s “All I Wanna Do” and John Carpenter’s “In the Mouth of Madness.” Additionally, he starred in Billy Ray’s “Shattered Glass,” which was the first feature film produced by Christensen’s production company, Forest Park Pictures.

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