Hayden Christensen (Anakin) explains he didn't leave the industry because of prequels

[CyberCubed]

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Why-H...rs-102847.html

Why Hayden Christensen Mostly Quit Acting After Star Wars


There are a number of issues that Star Wars fans like to pick on when it comes to the prequels, and one element that takes a lot of heat is Hayden Christensen’s performance as Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Though he’d been acting for more than a decade before his stint as the future Darth Vader, he took a break from Hollywood and recently revealed why.

As it turns out, it wasn’t due to fan backlash against his turn as Anakin. Talking toYahoo, he disclosed that it was more that he felt like hadn’t earned his newfound status. He said:
I felt like I had this great thing in Star Wars that provided all these opportunities and gave me a career, but it all kind of felt a little too handed to me. I didn’t want to go through life feeling like I was just riding a wave.

Revenge of the Sith, the third Episode and final installment of the prequel trilogy, hit theaters in 2005, and though Christensen appeared in a few projects here and there afterwards, most notably Jumper, he largely took a break from the industry. In 2007, he bought a farm in Ontario, Canada, and spent a great deal of time renovating the property and learning about the day-to-day mechanics and operations of such an endeavor. (In 2013 he actually teamed up with Canadian retailer RW&Co to release a clothing line inspired by his farm.)

Though he’s appeared in a few things here and there, the last few years have generally been quiet for Christensen. There’s a substantial gap in his on screen resume from 2010 through 2014, though things have been getting busier over the last year or so. In 2014 he appeared with Nicolas Cage in the old timey adventureOutcast, as well as the crime actioner American Heist with Adrien Brody and Jordana Brewster, and last year he showed up in the faith-based drama 90 Minutes In Heaven.

Christensen seems to be pleased that he has a much lower profile these days, and though his roles may not be as big, it provides him with the opportunity to do things on his own and earn what he gets. He said:
You can’t take years off and not have it affect your career. But I don’t know — in a weird, sort of destructive way, there was something appealing about that to me. There was something in the back of my head that was like, ‘If this time away is gonna be damaging to my career, then so be it. If I can come back afterward and claw my way back in, then maybe I’ll feel like I earned it.’

Now that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is out and taking over the world, new information indicates that there was at some stage in the development process, anAnakin Skywalker scene in Episode VII. He would reportedly have shown up as a Force Ghost, though in what capacity and to who he would appear isn’t known. But given that Hayden Christensen appears to be at ease with where his career is at the moment, perhaps it’s for the best that it didn’t happen.

Very interesting. I always thought this guy could have been given another chance under a better director to play Anakin, but I suppose its too late now. Still there's always the possibility of a Force Ghost.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

I remember reading this interview.

And in the guy's defense, while his acting was questionable (or even sucked), he was given terrible dialogue. TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE dialogue.

When writers go bad, they are the WORST.

Looking at you, Stephanie Meyer and George Lucas.

[MikeandRaph87]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

I remember reading this interview.

And in the guy's defense, while his acting was questionable (or even sucked), he was given terrible dialogue. TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE dialogue.

When writers go bad, they are the WORST.

Looking at you, Stephanie Meyer and George Lucas.

I agree. While I have not seen any of Hayden's other projects mainly because of the lower profile roles I am sure its one of two things, yes, the dialogue, but also he has to live up to being the before of the before and after the greatest cinematic villain of all-time. How many A-list actors could have lived up to that on top of the crappy dialogue? Some times actors can rise about poor scripts like Chris O'Donnell and Uma Thurman did in Batman & Robin for example or Ewan McGregor did despite the dialogue issue in Revenge of The Sith. Hayden just happen not to.

This could have been placed in the Episode 7 thread....

Exhibit A of poor dialogue:

Spoiler:

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

I'll give you Ewan McG, but I've NEVER understood how people like Uma Thurman. Just... no. Poison Ivy is supposed to be SEXY.

[CyberCubed]

How do you go from being an actor in one of the most popular movie franchises of all time to working on a farm with pigs and becoming Old Mcdonald?

[Shark_Blade]

His acting is awful in Star Wars, but jobs handed to him after that? Haven't seen in anything big after that. Natalie Portman on the other hand....

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

How do you go from being an actor in one of the most popular movie franchises of all time to working on a farm with pigs and becoming Old Mcdonald?

Well, c'mon...

#1 He KNEW most everybody hated his Star Wars movies and particularly HIM in them
#2 Regardless, he still had plenty of cash from said movies

If the kid wants to be Old McDonald, more power to him... strange choice, but hey, at least he's not turning into Shia LaBeof.

[Amaranthus]

Tfw Sam L. Jackson sucked mad ass in the prequels but nobody gave him sh*t.