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Interview with Anakin Skywalker actor.

Now that Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones is coming out, Hayden Christensen has become a tad less accessible. Fortunately, I saved my interview with him from Life as a House. While I can’t claim this is brand new material, he did talk a lot about Star Wars. Purposefully cagey, so as not to give away any details and violate his contract with Lucasfilm, here’s what we got out of him:
Coming into the cast, did you get any advice from Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman?

Both Ewan and Natalie kind of got their worlds turned upside down when Episode 1 came out and so they all had to deal with what I will deal with in a year. What do you think of the title Attack of the Clones? It’s pertinent to the story.

Do you have an opinion on Ewan’s comments?
No, has he commented on the title? Yes, very harshly. Oh really. That was wise of him.

Did you do the whole movie against a blue screen?
Just about. It felt like it. It was a new experience for me working off a blue screen and it’s not too dissimilar from theater in that it requires a lot of the imagination.

To what extent are there practical sets?
I’d say about a tenth of the work we did in the studio environment was with a constructed set. Everything else was blue screen work. But even in the sets there were some elements of blue screen.

Do you see yourself as the next action hero?
No, not by choice. I feel very thankful to be a part of the Star Wars saga because it is such a moving and prominent one. But it also affords me the opportunity to make a film like Life as a House. You’ve got to do some sort of a balancing act, diversifying what type of films you make and what type of characters you play.

Did you ever talk to Jake Lloyd?
No, I didn’t.

Do you say Yippee in Attack of the Clones?
No, I don’t.

What’s the biggest stunt you do?
There’s a few. I can’t say the biggest stunt I did, otherwise it would say something about the plot.

How was working with Lucas?
It was incredible. He’s a genius storyteller. It was awe-inspiring.

What surprised you the most about him?
How kind he was, I think. With everything that he’s accomplished and with all of his responsibilities, he’s managed to understand the importance of just being a nice guy and I think he was.

Were you daunted by the prospect of taking on this already mythical figure?

Yeah, when I first got the part, it was very daunting. I tried not to project my thoughts there, because it wasn’t conducive to doing my best work. Really, it was a great exploration for me to play a character who goes through such an amazing transformation.

George Lucas said that when he cast you, he could see an inner darkness within you. How did that make you feel?

I was aware of the dynamic of the character, and what was necessary for the part to be played properly. Playing a character that has those darker elements, you do learn more about yourself and your own qualities when you’re figuring out a way to motivate yourself for those scenes. Playing Anakin was an amazing self-discovery process and getting in touch with the darker side of myself that I didn’t necessarily know existed.

You work a lot with Natalie Portman in “Attack of the Clones”. How was that?

She’s a very capable actress and it made my work a lot easier having someone who has a presence. She’s a fine girl, I consider her sort of a friend. We were portraying a love story, so obviously I have to look at her with adoring eyes. She’s a very beautiful girl, so that made it easy. Outside of that, she does her job very capably.

How long did it take to get used to fighting with a lightsabre?

I went to Australia about a month before we started filming and worked with the fight coordinator every day for about five hours, and it worked. It was fun to fight with the lightsabre.

What colour lightsaber do you have - green or red?

I don’t know. I think it’s green. Green is a good colour. I’m still a good guy, on the right side. Maybe it’ll change to red in the next episode.

Did you do a lot of your own stunts?

I did all my own stunts except one, that’s not me but a digital version of me. I felt for my stunt double because he showed up every day with nothing to do. He was frustrated. He wanted to be a part of it too. But I wanted to make as big a contribution as I possibly could and I was physically capable of doing my own stunts. I didn’t see any reason to have someone else do them.

Do you see “Star Wars” as a fairytale or as sci-fi?

It’s a sci-fi movie in a very fantastical world. It’s a fantasy. It involves all of your ideal myths and a sense of ideology with the characters. Every character in the story pretty much is the archetypal figure of something from another myth. That’s George Lucas’ writing.

Source: BBC I Films

Hayden Christensen talks to Newsround’s Lizo about his role as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

Lizo: How does it feel to play a character who’s gone from being a great Jedi to one of the most evil villains who’s ever lived?

Hayden: It’s thrilling. It’s an amazing role and an amazing saga and an amazing transformation. It’s a character that’s started off as the embodiment of all that’s good and pure in a person I and to evolve into what we know as Darth Vader is a lot to do and a lot of fun as an actor.

Lizo: Why do you think they’ve chosen you to do this?

Hayden: No idea, I’ve no idea. I contemplated that for about a week after I got the part and I couldn’t figure it out so I stopped thinking about it. I guess I look a little bit like the kid… I don’t know.

Lizo: How did you feel what they rang you up and said you’re got the part? What was going through your head then?

Hayden: I was just overwhelmed with joy. The whole time I was auditioning for the film I never once felt like it was feasible I’d get the role. And when they told me it was complete disbelief - it was just a shock to the system. I was on cloud nine for about a week then I got down and started doing my work and trying to figure out the character. I just couldn’t believe it.

Lizo: Do you feel pressured to get the character right?

Hayden: Absolutely. I’m a fan of the saga and I don’t want to be the one who messes it up. I think it’s scripted in a manner that is very subtle and I think very detailed in terms of what’s going on stage by stage in Anakin’s psyche. And with George’s guidance hopefully we’ll get it right. But it’s a gradual process of going to the Dark Side.

Lizo: Did George Lucas give you any hints about Episode III just to help you in this one?

Hayden: No - there were times when I would want to play a scene a little more innocently and he’d want a different emotion so it was more believable in Episode III that I’d made that transition. It was just a process of trying to find some kind of balance. He never actually told me what would happen in Episode III - like why you have to do this now. He likes to keep his secrets to himself.

Lizo: What was it like having your own lightsabre?

Hayden: Absolutely thrilling. It’s the coolest thing in the world. To hold it was fun.I went off to Australia about a month before hand and learned how to wield the lightsabre - it was just every kid’s dream. I can’t wait to go back and train for Episode III!

Lizo: Was it hard work?

Hayden: Oh yeah, learning how to swing a lightsabre because I wasn’t a really expert swordsperson prior to this but at the same time the things are really heavy so it’s a good workout. But you’re not really learning a fighting style, more the dances to a step choreography before your arrival. So I was just learning where my feet went, picking up the pace gradually.

Lizo: How does it feel just a few days before the release of the most talked about movie of the summer?

Hayden: It’s a little daunting. But I’m excited. I saw the film just a couple of days ago myself and I thought it was pretty spectacular so I hope that people who are awaiting the film will enjoy it as much as I did.

Lizo: Did you do many of the stunts yourself?

Hayden: I did all of ‘em myself. I had a stunt double on set but when I got the part there was no way I was going to let someone else share screen time with me, playing my character. I wanted to do it all. I have somewhat of an athletic background so I felt physically capable of doing most of the stunts.

Lizo: What was it like working with George? How much help was he on set?

Hayden: He was a load of help. His whole universe that we were acting in…he’s created the relationships and the dynamic that’s present on screen so when you’re taking direction from him you’re taking it from the creative guidance person. I found him to be great.

Lizo: As a fan, have you found yourself reciting some of those classic Darth Vader lines from the final films?

Hayden: No, I don’t really do that. I don’t know, I’m just going to wait till I get the script for Episode III to see what my dialogue is for that.

What did the director and the cast have to say about “Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones?” Read what they had to say as we caught up with them at Skywalker, the high tech ranch of George Lucas.

What did you think when you first saw the finished “Star Wars”?
I was blown away actually. Aside from seeing my face up there, I was very self aware the whole time. I just looked at what George had created visually and what his intentions were. I was really blown away by the detail that I saw on screen.

Were you intimidated at all working with George?
Yeah, sure at first because he has such a huge following, a massive following. It was a little daunting at first but he made me feel very at ease. He is a very kind man. He was very aware that our relationship was very important in my portrayal of Anakin.

You are one actor in a series that play Anakin/Darth. Did you reference these other actors?
Yeah. I felt like I had to. It was important for that linear development of the character. I tried to take certain sensibilities from Jake’s performance. Then there is only so much you can draw from a man with a mask but I tried to maintain that monotone delivery of the lines in my character as well. That was all I could take from him.

Did you watch the other “Star Wars” films?
I watched them religiously. I watched the original trilogy about ten times over before I started filming and I watch Episode I every weekend during the filming process. I had a vested interest in making sure my character was an extension of Jake’s performance.

Are you supposed be about 5 years younger than Padme?
I think it’s about seven but I am actually a few months older than Natalie.

Are you more comfortable in the sparring or romantic scenes? Which was more challenging?
The romantic scenes were more of a challenge. Preparation for the fighting scenes took some time. He is obviously very passionate but there obviously needs to be some sort of a menacing look behind it.

There are rumors that you wanted multiple takes of the romantic scenes. Is that true?
No, not at all. (laughs)

Source: MSN.Com

He is 21 yrs. old and he is the hearthrob at this moment in time. He never imagined by playing Anakin Skywalker in EP:2 would take his sleep away. Now, he does not even have time to play tennis,a sport which he is passionate about.
So, they ask him “How did you get involved in acting ? ” H: “By luck,when I was a young boy I went with my older sister Hejsa to a casting call for a commercial and the producers chose me.” What luck!! As far as his personal life goes..he has a rare fetish, he is a compulsive spender when it comes to his underwear and socks. Why would he want so many of these things?

Question 1: What may we find in your closet?
H:”I love western/cowboy type clothing. That is why I love to use stone type washed jeans..the one’s that look like the color has faded. White shirts are an essential part of my wardrobe, and, I have an extensive collection of sweaters.”

Question2: What has been the best advice someone has given you?
H: “While we where filming EP:2,Ewan told me” Enjoy your last days of anonimity” and I didn’t listen to him and now, I miss having that”.

Question 3: If you could be a cartoon character what would you be?
H: “A few of my friends have told me that I look like Bart Simpson, but, I would love to be Robin Hood because he is a good person and he is very adventurous.”

Question4: What has been the worst scolding you have had?
H: “Well, A few months ago,my parent’s found out that I smoke and I received a big scolding from them and they also told me that they did not want me to be friends with certain people, they prohibited me to be friends with them. I know that is a bad habit, a dumb habit, but, it is hard to stop smoking.”

Question 5: What kind of music do you listen to?
H:”I listen to Macy Gray and Radiohead. I would never, ever buy a cd from Celine Dion or Bryan Adams or any type of cd that has to do with Country Music.”

Question6: Did you date Natalie Portman, because in an interview she said that kissing you made her feel like a “Prostitute”?
H:” Well, she said that because she is an actress and she gets paid to do those things. And of course after that, there where rumors of us dating, which is a lie.”

Question 7: What is your major secret?
H:”For years while I was in High School, I did not want to tell my friends that I was taking Acting classes. Why you may ask? Because I was embarrassed.”

Question 8: What kind of sports do you do?
H:”Well, Mountain Biking, Hockey, Football. During the summer I enter “Paddle” tournaments.”
Of course!! How can he not be athletic, he stands at 6ft.1 and is highly athletic a great tennis player. He almost received an Athletic Scholarship so, he could attend the University.

Question 9: Do you play any musical instruments?
H: “I play jazz and blues in my piano.The weird thing is that I can’t read any musical notes. I just have the rhythm in my heart.”

Question 10: Hayden vs.The Hearthrob’s of the moment?
H:”I know..I heard that I beat out like 400 actors, including the well know ones.”

Question 11: Your favorite things?
1. Color?
H: “Blue”
2.Actor?
H: “Joe Lando”
3.Car?
H: “BMW”
4.Food?
H: “Pizza”

Question 12: What is your biggest weakness?
H:” I can’t stand it when people tickle me. But, when I am angry, the only thing that puts me in a better mood is a dish my mom makes, it’s broccoli and shrimp.”

Question 13: Are you a millionaire?
H: laughs.”Well, I can buy things now, that I could not buy before.”
At his age, he earns 7 million for each movie he makes.

Question 14: What do you complain about often?
H:” I am a really nervous person. When I was heading to Skywalker Ranch,for my interview with George Lucas, I threw up in the plane. I suppose my nerves make me do things like that.”

Question 15: What has been your most difficult character? that you had to play?
H: “I have to say that it was “Sam” in LAAH. I dyed my hair Black with Blue streaks and I painted my nails black also. I lost 25 pounds by eating nothing but salads and vitamins and drinking only water. I wanted to portray “Sam” the best possible way.”

Were you daunted by the prospect of taking on this already mythical figure?
Yeah, when I first got the part, it was very daunting. I tried not to project my thoughts there, because it wasn’t conducive to doing my best work. Really, it was a great exploration for me to play a character who goes through such an amazing transformation.

George Lucas said that when he cast you, he could see an inner darkness within you. How did that make you feel?
I was aware of the dynamic of the character, and what was necessary for the part to be played properly. Playing a character that has those darker elements, you do learn more about yourself and your own qualities when you’re figuring out a way to motivate yourself for those scenes. Playing Anakin was an amazing self-discovery process and getting in touch with the darker side of myself that I didn’t necessarily know existed.

You work a lot with Natalie Portman in “Attack of the Clones”. How was that?
She’s a very capable actress and it made my work a lot easier having someone who has a presence. She’s a fine girl, I consider her sort of a friend. We were portraying a love story, so obviously I have to look at her with adoring eyes. She’s a very beautiful girl, so that made it easy. Outside of that, she does her job very capably.

How long did it take to get used to fighting with a lightsaber?
I went to Australia about a month before we started filming and worked with the fight coordinator every day for about five hours, and it worked. It was fun to fight with the lightsabre.

What colour lightsaber do you have - green or red?
I don’t know. I think it’s green. Green is a good colour. I’m still a good guy, on the right side. Maybe it’ll change to red in the next episode.

Did you do a lot of your own stunts?
I did all my own stunts except one, that’s not me but a digital version of me. I felt for my stunt double because he showed up every day with nothing to do. He was frustrated. He wanted to be a part of it too. But I wanted to make as big a contribution as I possibly could and I was physically capable of doing my own stunts. I didn’t see any reason to have someone else do them.

Do you see “Star Wars” as a fairytale or as sci-fi?
It’s a sci-fi movie in a very fantastical world. It’s a fantasy. It involves all of your ideal myths and a sense of ideology with the characters. Every character in the story pretty much is the archetypal figure of something from another myth. That’s George Lucas’ writing.

Source: BBC

Hayden Christensen talks to Newsround’s Lizo about his role as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Lizo: How does it feel to play a character who’s gone from being a great Jedi to one of the most evil villains who’s ever lived?
Hayden: It’s thrilling. It’s an amazing role and an amazing saga and an amazing transformation. It’s a character that’s started off as the embodiment of all that’s good and pure in a person I and to evolve into what we know as Darth Vader is a lot to do and a lot of fun as an actor.

Lizo: Why do you think they’ve chosen you to do this?
Hayden: No idea, I’ve no idea. I contemplated that for about a week after I got the part and I couldn’t figure it out so I stopped thinking about it. I guess I look a little bit like the kid… I don’t know.

Lizo: How did you feel what they rang you up and said you’re got the part? What was going through your head then?
Hayden: I was just overwhelmed with joy. The whole time I was auditioning for the film I never once felt like it was feasible I’d get the role. And when they told me it was complete disbelief - it was just a shock to the system. I was on cloud nine for about a week then I got down and started doing my work and trying to figure out the character. I just couldn’t believe it.

Lizo: Do you feel pressured to get the character right?
Hayden: Absolutely. I’m a fan of the saga and I don’t want to be the one who messes it up. I think it’s scripted in a manner that is very subtle and I think very detailed in terms of what’s going on stage by stage in Anakin’s psyche. And with George’s guidance hopefully we’ll get it right. But it’s a gradual process of going to the Dark Side.

Lizo: Did George Lucas give you any hints about Episode III just to help you in this one?
Hayden: No - there were times when I would want to play a scene a little more innocently and he’d want a different emotion so it was more believable in Episode III that I’d made that transition. It was just a process of trying to find some kind of balance. He never actually told me what would happen in Episode III - like why you have to do this now. He likes to keep his secrets to himself.

Lizo: What was it like having your own lightsabre?
Hayden: Absolutely thrilling. It’s the coolest thing in the world. To hold it was fun. I went off to Australia about a month before hand and learned how to wield the lightsabre - it was just every kid’s dream. I can’t wait to go back and train for Episode III!

Lizo: Was it hard work?
Hayden: Oh yeah, learning how to swing a lightsabre because I wasn’t a really expert swordsperson prior to this but at the same time the things are really heavy so it’s a good workout. But you’re not really learning a fighting style, more the dances to a step choreography before your arrival. So I was just learning where my feet went, picking up the pace gradually.

Lizo: How does it feel just a few days before the release of the most talked about movie of the summer?
Hayden: It’s a little daunting. But I’m excited. I saw the film just a couple of days ago myself and I thought it was pretty spectacular so I hope that people who are awaiting the film will enjoy it as much as I did.

Lizo: Did you do many of the stunts yourself?
Hayden: I did all of ‘em myself. I had a stunt double on set but when I got the part there was no way I was going to let someone else share screen time with me, playing my character. I wanted to do it all. I have somewhat of an athletic background so I felt physically capable of doing most of the stunts.

Lizo: What was it like working with George? How much help was he on set?
Hayden: He was a load of help. His whole universe that we were acting in… he’s created the relationships and the dynamic that’s present on screen so when you’re taking direction from him you’re taking it from the creative guidance person. I found him to be great.

Lizo: As a fan, have you found yourself reciting some of those classic Darth Vader lines from the final films?
Hayden: No, I don’t really do that. I don’t know, I’m just going to wait till I get the script for Episode III to see what my dialogue is for that.

Source: BBC

Few people would recognise Hayden Christensen today, yet in two months’ time he is quite certain to become one of the most famous actors in the world. William Leith meets the lead in the next Star Wars film

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN, the tall, 20-year-old, dirty-blond Canadian actor shuffling towards me in the National Youth Theatre in north London, has an interesting future: he has been cast as Anakin Skywalker, the lead role in Attack of the Clones, George Lucas’s next Star Wars film. This means that he might be the next Harrison Ford, who got his first big break in Star Wars and went on to be one of the world’s most popular leading men. On the other hand, Christensen might be the next Mark Hamill, who also got his first big break in Star Wars, and who did not go on to be one of the world’s most popular leading men.

Anakin Skywalker is a dream part - he is the Jedi warrior with the weird, neo-mullet haircut who will eventually become Darth Vader. He also gets to have an affair with Natalie Portman, and travel through galaxies along with Ewan McGregor and Samuel L Jackson - heaven for a kid who grew up loving Star Wars, and who reportedly made excited whooshing noises while he wielded his light sabre on set. In May Christensen will be the hottest young actor in the world. Right now, though, he is an unknown kid lighting up a Camel in a rehearsal room.

Christensen is meticulously scruffy in a T-shirt and jeans and big boots with the laces undone. ‘People ask me if I’m preparing for when Star Wars comes out,’ he says. ‘But I don’t understand how you prepare for fame. My preparation is giving it as little thought as possible.’ Ewan McGregor has told him to relish the short time of relative anonymity he has left. Christensen knows that in a few weeks’ time he will be drinking soft drinks from cans with pictures of his face printed on them. ‘I don’t really have an understanding of it,’ he says. ‘It doesn’t make sense to me. It was never something I sought. I think if you do, you’re a little deranged.’

We sit down at a table. Christensen takes out another Camel from his crushed pack. He looks like he might be the sort of guy who says ‘dude’ a lot. George Lucas has said of him, ‘He’s one of these slightly brooding young Turks in the Marlon Brando/James Dean mould.’ For Anakin Skywalker, Lucas needed somebody who was ‘charismatic, boyish and likeable,’ but who also ‘had the ability to turn bad in the next film.’ When I ask Christensen which actors he likes, he mentions John Turturro and Billy Crudup. In his mind he’s more of an art-house guy than a blockbuster guy.

Christensen’s in London performing in a small, arty play together with two other young Hollywood stars, Anna Paquin and Jake Gyllenhaal - something a lot of serious actors do when they’re about to be associated with a huge blockbusting movie. He plays Dennis, a motormouthed young New York drug dealer, in Kenneth Lonergan’s edgy, hilarious This is our Youth. To date his two most prominent screen roles have been as a druggy, conflicted, abused teenager in the Canadian television series Higher Ground, and as a druggy, conflicted, pierced teenager in the forthcoming film Life as a House, in which he had to lose 25 pounds and perform an act of auto-erotic asphyxiation while wearing blue eyeshadow. ‘It was uncomfortable choking myself. It kind of cut off all the bloodflow from my head, and made my face go really red.’ To play insecure characters like these, he says, ‘you have to find some emotional similarity, so that it relates to some sort of insecurity I see in myself.’

What could this be, I wonder? Christensen grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, the third of four children. His father, who comes from Danish stock, writes software programs and his mother, who is part Swedish and part Italian, writes speeches for the heads of large companies. The plan was not to be an actor. The plan was to go to university on a tennis scholarship. ‘It’s a pretty demanding commitment to wholly dedicate yourself to a sport, but that’s what I was doing,’ he says. Christensen performed in advertisements as a child, but he seems uncomfortable talking about them. ‘I really had no desire to do anything other than get a couple of days off school,’ he says. He only acted at all because his parents wanted to get him into Unionville, a prestigious high school outside the boundaries of their home district. His one chance to get in, though, was to audition for the school’s performing arts programme. This must have made him feel very pressurised, although he’ll only say good things about his parents. ‘They originally wanted me to audition for the dance course,’ he says, ‘because they thought that would be my best chance of getting in, on account of the fact that no guys would be auditioning for the dance programme. And I refused. I wasn’t going to do that.’ So he auditioned as an actor instead. Of course, he loved it. He loved inhabiting other people - people unlike himself. In drama class, he says,

‘I always kind of felt like I had some sort of understanding of everything that was superior to my classmates.’ He shelved plans to go to university, got himself an agent, and, at the age of 17, arranged some meetings in Los Angeles ‘to see what it was like down there’. Not long after this, he got his first part in Higher Ground and never looked back.

When he’s not in Hollywood, or on set, or rehearsing a play, he lives with his parents in Toronto. ‘They still nag at me when I sleep in,’ he says. ‘They’re happy for me, but they’re not really too impressed at all.’ Christensen’s father found out his son was a smoker when he saw a picture of him in Sydney, during the filming of Attack of the Clones, with a cigarette in his mouth. ‘He was disappointed in me,’ says Christensen. ‘I don’t condone smoking. It’s stupid. But I still do it.’ Perhaps this hardworking, hothouse kid is going through a delayed phase of teenage rebellion.

Christensen can’t tell me what’s going to happen in Attack of the Clones - it’s all deadly secret, of course. He tells me something about his performance, though. ‘The enunciation of my words is much more pronounced,’ he says. ‘The Jedi are very proper. I made sure I spoke with almost a monotone voice.’ In the film, Christensen’s character falls in love with, and kisses, Natalie Portman’s character, Amidala. (Christensen denies rumours of an off-screen romance with his co-star.) In any case, one can imagine the inner torment which might turn a supposedly celibate Jedi into the evil Darth Vader. And one can imagine the inner torment which Christensen might suffer if he becomes the next Mark Hamill. Let’s hope that, unlike Carrie Fisher, he is not immortalised for his daft Star Wars haircut.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk