Hayden Christensen Discusses Adding “Connective Tissue” to Anakin’s Story in ‘Ahsoka’ and ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’
Hayden Christensen sat down with Empire to discuss the prequels and his return to the world of Star Wars with his role as Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin in Ahsoka. This conversation is included as part of the recently announced Star Wars prequels 25th anniversary issue, which also includes interviews with Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Liam Neeson, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Brian Blessed, and more. The issue releases February 15.
Christensen speaks glowingly of the experience on set of Ahsoka, which comes as no surprise as many of the cast and crew working on Star Wars shows for Disney Plus speak highly of their experiences. For Christensen, his return to Star Wars has also heralded a larger return to Hollywood in general. Commenting on the opportunity to play Anakin in Ahsoka, he said:
“The scenes that I got to do as Anakin on Ahsoka was a bucket-list item I didn’t even know I had. When I was getting ready to do Obi-Wan Kenobi, I started my Clone Wars deep-dive, and I loved it. I remember thinking, ‘Man, it would be so cool to see some of that in live action.’
Speaking about how he initially learned about The Clone Wars, Christensen mentioned:
That [The Clone Wars] was described to me by George Lucas when we were doing Episode III, the things that were going on in-between Episode II and III. So when Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau told me they wanted to explore some of that, I was so game. And I loved how it came out.”
Part 5 of Ahsoka, titled “Shadow Warrior” and directed by Dave Filoni, includes the live-action flashbacks of Anakin and Ahsoka during such pivotal moments in The Clone Wars as the Battle of Teth, the Battle of Ryloth and the Siege of Mandalore. This episode was widely praised by fans and provided some unique context for Anakin and Ahsoka’s story for those fans who may have never watched the animation. Regarding this added context and in particular how it relates to the work he did as Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, Christensen commented:
“When we finished doing the prequels, it felt like that was it, and my journey with the character was over. So to get to come back now and do more with Anakin and Darth Vader was an amazing opportunity. The scenes that I got to do as Darth Vader on Obi-Wan Kenobi, that was huge for me. Being able to add a little bit more connective tissue to the character and to bridge the gap into Vader a little bit more is a very worthwhile thing.”
Stay tuned for more coverage of the prequels cast and in the meantime, check out our recent story on the latest production schedule news of the upcoming The Mandalorian & Grogu film.
When she isn't watching her friends and family's eyes glaze over at the mention of The Clone Wars, she's at the park with her dog, Melvin, or on the couch with a book in one hand and a drink in the other. Physically, she lives in Ohio; spiritually, she lives in Naboo.
