Hayden Christensen: ‘Playing Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi was cathartic’

By James Hibbs

Published: Wednesday, 01 June 2022 at 12:00 am

Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney Plus is notable not only for bringing back Ewan McGregor’s version of the Star Wars hero, but also Hayden Christensen as his Padawan-turned-nemesis Anakin Skywalker, AKA Darth Vader.

Christensen has a complex history with the role, as he took on one of the most beloved film villains and received a significant backlash for his performance in the prequel films when they came out.

Now those films have been somewhat re-evaluated, and Christensen’s performance along with them. In coming back to the role for the new Disney Plus series, it seems the actor felt a sense of catharsis.

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Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi
Disney+

Speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com about Obi-Wan Kenobi, Christensen said: “Being in the costume again was incredible. It’s an amazing, iconic costume and imparts a lot of feeling when you put it on. And for me, it was a very emotional experience. And very sort of cathartic in a lot of ways.”

Elsewhere in his chat with RadioTimes.com, Christensen teased that there are “a lot of really fun surprises in store” for the new series and he is “really excited for people to see this because it’s a great story”.

“You know, we’re getting to see [Ewan McGregor’s] Obi-Wan Kenobi at a sort of a time in his life that is pivotal for him,” he continued. “And he’s in a very dark place. And there’s just lots of great stuff there to explore. I think fans are gonna like it.”