Hayden Christensen

• 1. Vancouver Roots And Early Stages

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  Hayden Christensen was born on the 19th of April 1981 in Vancouver, British Columbia. His father David worked as a computer programmer and communications executive while his mother Alie served as an American speechwriter. He grew up with three actor siblings including older brother Tove and older sister Hejsa. Summers were spent on Long Island visiting his maternal grandmother Rose Schwartz. The young boy attended Unionville High School in Markham where he played hockey competitively and tennis at a provincial level. At age 12 he made his acting debut in September 1993 playing a supporting role on the German-Canadian television series Macht Der Leidenschaft/Family Passions. A year later he appeared in John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness. From 1995 through 1999 he appeared in several films and television series including Harrison Bergeron Forever Knight Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark? Wider notice came while starring in Fox Family Channel's television series Higher Ground in 2000 portraying a teen who was sexually molested by his stepmother then turned to drugs in despair.

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• 2. Critical Acclaim Before Fame

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  Christensen's critically acclaimed portrayal of a misunderstood teenager in Life as a House earned him Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations. The performance also won the National Board of Review's award for Breakthrough Performance of the Year though it did not receive widespread public notice. In 2002 Christensen made his London theatre debut with Jake Gyllenhaal and Anna Paquin in This Is Our Youth. He went on to receive positive reviews for 2003's Shattered Glass which tells the true story of journalist Stephen Glass. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote that Christensen is sensational as Glass finding the wonder boy and the weasel in a disturbed kid flying high on fame he hasn't earned. In 2005 Christensen made his Broadway debut when he appeared briefly in a 10-minute play. That same year he took part in the fifth annual 24 Hour Plays benefit which raises cash for nonprofit groups in New York City. His honours include the nominations for a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award as well as the Cannes Film Festival's Trophée Chopard.

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• 3. The Search For Skywalker

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  On the 12th of May 2000 Christensen announced that he would be starring as an adult Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode II , Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III , Revenge of the Sith. The casting director reviewed about 1,500 other candidates before director George Lucas selected Christensen. Lucas chose him because he needed an actor who has that presence of the Dark Side essential to solidify the story of Anakin's fall from grace. Christensen admitted to Star Wars Insider in 2005 that he found it difficult bridging the gap between Jake Lloyd's innocent boy and the villain Vader was introduced as in the original trilogy. While co-star Ewan McGregor had Alec Guinness to emulate Christensen had no one to emulate. He said ultimately he had to be the linear connection between the Anakin that Jake Lloyd played and capture Darth Vader as portrayed by Sebastian Shaw when he was demasked in Return of the Jedi. During production of Revenge of the Sith Christensen asked Lucas if a special Vader suit could be constructed to fit his own body rather than have a different actor don one of the original sets worn by David Prowse. A suit was engineered to fit Christensen's frame including extensions to allow for the actor to attain Vader's height.

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• 4. Backlash And The Golden Raspberry

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  Christensen's performance in both Episode II and III received generally mixed reviews from critics though contemporary reviews note that his performance was mostly affected by Lucas' directing and the dialogue. Long before the reappraisal Christensen received praise from the cast and crew while filming the two prequels. At the time of the release of Attack of the Clones C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels described Christensen as such a hero and a terrific clever actor. However the public reaction turned harsher with awards like the Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Supporting Actor and Worst Screen Couple shared with Natalie Portman. In 2005 he won the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain despite the critical divide. Christensen was named in People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People and Teen Peoples 25 Hottest Stars under 25. He later reflected on the reception saying it is like those films had a gestation period where they needed a little time to ferment in the public psyche. The reception that the films have now is very heartwarming according to him in 2022 when reflecting on the prequel trilogy and the reappraisal.

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• 5. Post-Star Wars Struggles

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  Between 2006 and 2007 Christensen starred in Awake with Jessica Alba which tells the story of a man who remains awake but paralyzed during heart surgery. He co-starred in Factory Girl opposite Sienna Miller and Guy Pearce next. Christensen then co-starred with Samuel L. Jackson Jamie Bell and Rachel Bilson in the film Jumper released on the 14th of February 2008. The film follows a young man who discovers he has the ability to teleport. He appeared opposite Mischa Barton in Virgin Territory which was released directly-to-DVD in North America on the 26th of August 2008. In October 2009 Christensen started shooting the horror film Vanishing on 7th Street directed by Brad Anderson. He also appeared in the crime drama Takers with Idris Elba and Paul Walker released in the United States on the 27th of August 2010. Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey is the fourth film in which Christensen stars with Samuel L. Jackson. In the early 2000s Christensen formed a production company Forest Park Pictures alongside his brother Tove that produced two films including Shattered Glass and Vanishing on 7th Street.

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• 6. Legal Battles And Independent Films

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  In 2010 Christensen sued USA Network over allegations that they stole his idea for the TV show Royal Pains. The suit alleges that Christensen met with USA to pitch a similar series entitled Housecalls during which he was never informed that a similar program was in development. Although a federal judge at first dismissed Christensen's lawsuit in 2011 the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals reversed this decision in June 2012 remanding the case back to the district court for further proceedings. This was considered a legal victory for Christensen. On the 20th of May 2013 during the Cannes Film Festival the Russian company Enjoy Movies announced the creation of Glacier Films an alliance company with Christensen and his brother Tove. Over a three-year period Glacier Films intended to make 11 micro-budget movies costing $1.5M each. The first project American Heist starring Christensen Adrien Brody and Jordana Brewster started filming in June 2013. In 2014 he starred in the American-Chinese-Canadian film Outcast alongside Nicolas Cage. In 2015 Christensen starred in the film 90 Minutes in Heaven co-starring Kate Bosworth and directed by Michael Polish based on the best-selling novel by the same name.

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• 7. Return To The Galaxy Far Away

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  In 2019 Christensen returned to the role of Anakin Skywalker providing a voice cameo of the character's voice in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Although not involved in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story he praised the film saying I loved what they did with it. The character predates me and it is always been a collective effort in a lot of ways. He also received a voice credit as Anakin Skywalker jointly alongside Matt Lanter for the penultimate episode of the final season of the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars entitled Shattered. On the 22nd of October 2021 it was reported that Christensen would also reprise the role for the Disney+ series Ahsoka. In May 2022 Christensen reprised his role of Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader for the Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series on Disney+. His portrayal earned positive reviews from critics noting a huge improvement from his performance in the prequel trilogy. He appeared in the documentary special Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return which premiered on the 8th of September 2022 Disney+ Day. In 2023 Christensen appeared in four episodes of Ahsoka and was digitally de-aged.

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• 8. Life Beyond Hollywood

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  In 2007 Christensen began dating actress Rachel Bilson whom he starred with in the movie Jumper. They became engaged on the 25th of December 2008 but broke up in mid-2010 before dating again a few months later. On the 29th of October 2014 Bilson gave birth to their daughter though they separated in September 2017. In 2007 Christensen bought a farm near Uxbridge Ontario where he noted in 2008 that he had been renovating the property himself devoting time to learning about livestock crops and agricultural machinery. The farm also features a vegetable garden and an apple orchard. In November 2013 Christensen collaborated with Canadian fashion chain RW&Co to release a men's clothing line inspired by his farm. In 2015 Christensen explained to The Los Angeles Times another reason he bought the farm was because he didn't want to grow too entitled as an actor after starring in Star Wars. He acknowledged that the break would impact his work but wasn't bothered by it. Christensen continues to be hands on with his farm revealing at a convention in 2023 that he had hand built multiple fishing ponds on his farm containing water features complete with plumbing that Christensen did himself.

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