Hayden Christensen

[Zac Grayson]

So I have personally loved all the Star Wars movies, even number 1. I liked Hayen as Anakin. The romance scenes in two at points were bad, but I still loved it and thought he did a good job.

It seems a lot of people hated him so I wanted to open this can and actually see why. So what are your thoughts?

 

[Xenia Nastassia]

Hah, this'll be good.

 

[LaoTzu]

Of the movies that he was in...he had like all of 15 minutes of actually playing the part. The rest of time, I could have done a better job, drunk....

 

[Lavania]

it is kind of hard on the one hard when he wasn't talking he could pull off a hotheaded and slightly imposing look.... i was the dialogue and direction that really hurt him and that wasn't really his fault. I mean Christopher Lee has the clout to say no I am not going to do this or lets try it this way to someone like Lucas but a young actor getting to star as the iconic anakin/vader I doubt he really tried to say this isn't that good. Could he have been great... ehhh he is supposed to become James Earl Jones voice wise he was already handicapped.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Both Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman were directed very, very poorly and their characters were written very, very poorly. This is the downfall of the prequels.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Agreed with [member="Aurelia Volcata"], they both did well with what they had, even if it wasn't super great. It's a shame how their characters were written, but at the very least, they acted well enough that the characters still had life and emotion that told the story.

 

[Javek Tysis]

I like Hayden. A lot actually. They just screwed up his script. Completely. Like the creepy scenes in AOTC where he was talking about his lust for Padme. Was that not creepy? Or am I the only one? And his voice. Oh jeebus. His voice.

If only they could have made him sound much less squeaker, the bad scripting would have at least been acceptable. (Well, not really. Bad scripting is never acceptable.) Like, the Voice actor for Anakin in the Clone Wars series (2008) Matt Lanter, he actually had a bit of bass in his voice, which made me like the character even more. It’s just little things like that that gets me.

I mean, he’s a good actor. He did his best in ROTS in my opinion. Especially near the end, that was just stellar acting to me.

 

[Amz]

Like everyone else has said, it really wasn't as much the actor as it was his director and the awful script. Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman are both fantastic, and not even they could seem to pull off the acting for those movies. All in all, I'm sure he did the best he could with what he had.

 

[Ellie Mors]

even number 1. I liked Hayen as Anakin

Hayden never played the child Anakin, but I agree. He wasn't a bad actor, so much as was given poor lines and put in a bad position as far as being directed goes.

 

[Selena Halcyon]

It was clearly a lead in expressing his love for the prequels and not associating Hayden as playing young Anakin, [member="Darth Atrophia"], don't be a dork.

Hayden is fine, much like the prequels are fine. It is amazing how almost any time he does not have to speak he carries the role well. He properly does the emotional bits with his face.

wan McGregor and Natalie Portman are both fantastic, and not even they could seem to pull off the acting for those movies.

Honestly felt like Natalie was phoning it in in the second and third movies. McGregor was perfectly fine in them. I'd say it was his normal level of acting honestly.

[member="Lanax Grayson"], like you I also enjoy the Phantom Menace. I even, dare I say it, will go so far as to say it is the best of the Prequels.

 

[Darth Immortus]

If you ever watch the behind-the-scenes footage of the prequels, you can see how George Lucas literally micromanaged Hayden's every move.

As others said, fault goes with the writer and director, not the actor. The poor guy catches so much undue hate for these films.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

It is amazing how almost any time he does not have to speak he carries the role well. He properly does the emotional bits with his face.

Yes!

When Hayden has to act with just his facial expressions, he's amazing.

Especially on Mustafar when he's slaughtering the Separatist Council and fighting Obi-wan, when he just has to act with his face he's quite terrifying, and you can see how he'd become Darth Vader.

 

[Kenrath]

The movie Takers. He was awesome in that movie with a much better written script for his character. That alone can lead you to believe that the quality of the prequels was not due to his ability but what he was written into.

On that same note look at Natalie Portman. Awesome in just about every movie she has ever been in going all the way back to The Professional when she was like what 7. Fast forward to Star Wars and she was hit and miss in it.

 

[Arumi Zy]

Emo twilight angsty teens.... nuff said.


I very much disliked his acting, the writing of the character, the hair, the facial expressions, the acting, the acting and the angsty teenager... Sniffles i slauwtewed dem like animalz!!

 

[Sha'so]

[member="Arumi Zy"]

As it has been mentioned, a lot of what you said boils down to writing and direction. Yeah, I thought Anakin was a whiny little brat, but that wasn't the actor's fault.

 

[Sabena Shai]

Hayden was a newish actor surrounded by veteran talent, with Star Wars having corny dialogue and a corny romance. Plus there was the fact that everyone was expecting Anakin to be some big, bad mother- because of what Darth Vader was in the OT.

Still, Hayden had a lot of great moments - especially when he talked less as Selena said.

 

[Captain Jordan]

A friend of mine once asked me why the Prequels were so fething awful compared to Original Trilogy movies like Empire or Return. This is what I showed him.

Star Wars (1977) Director: George Lucas
Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back Director: Irvin Kershner
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Director: Richard Marquand
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Director: George Lucas
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Director: George Lucas
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Director: George Lucas

'nuff said

 

[Kamon's OOC]

Thank the Lord for new directing is all I can say.

I liked the prequels though. Hayden wasn't bad, just poorly directed and the dialogue was garbage. Not a lot you can do with that, especially as a young actor just getting started on the silver screen.

 

[Tellos]

Reports have Hayden trying a few times to try to make Anikin more of a full 3d character but George slapped that down fast. I think after the 2nd or 3 no he just gave up trying to fight it realizing he'd get no where.

 

[Via Dolorosa]

Hayden is an awful actor.....have you seen the movie Jumper? Yeah, can't blame every writer/director for his mistakes.

However, I will agree with most here that when he wasn't speaking and just playing the role he was excellent. His facial expressions fit the bill of an angry Sith, especially when he killing the Separatists on Mustafar. Also to his credit, he plays angry really well. It's when he has to act nice or simply just act at all that shows his inability to act. Again....Jumper.

But eh, what can you expect from a no-name actor trying to play the biggest character role in the movies, minus Mark Hamill.