Summary
- Hayden Christensen has had a diverse range of roles since his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars, including musician, young man in a psychological thriller, and historical character in a romantic comedy.
- Despite initially harsh criticism, Christensen has taken on quality projects and surprised audiences with his versatile performances.
- Christensen's return to Star Wars in recent years shows his ion for the character of Anakin Skywalker and his willingness to continue exploring the role of Darth Vader. Audiences can hope for future appearances from him in the Star Wars universe.
Though most people know him as Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Hayden Christensen has been pretty busy in the years since their release. Though Christensen has recently made a triumphant return to the series that launched his popularity, he’s got a good amount of other movies in his history now. From action-thrillers to romantic comedies, Star Wars laid the groundwork for all kind of genres for him to try out.
After an initially harsh critical reception of his portrayal of Anakin, Christensen’s projects were much more low-key than the Star Wars movies, with the actor spending the majority of his time enjoying his farm at home in Canada. However, that hasn’t stopped him from engaging in several quality projects over the years. His low profile makes each movie feel like a surprise, with each project being different from the last.
16 Factory Girl - 2006
Hayden Christensen’s first role after Anakin Skywalker was as the musician Billy Quinn in Factory Girl. The movie was based on the rise and fall of real-life socialite Edie Sedgwick, specifically focusing on her relationship with Andy Warhol. Christensen’s character was based on Bob Dylan, and has a short-lived relationship with Edie before her self-sabotage drives her into Warhol’s grasp.
15 Awake - 2007
The psychological thriller Awake features Christensen as a young man poised to take over his late father’s business. With a damaged heart in need of replacement and an overprotective mother who disapproves of his fiancée, his trust is tested as his transplant surgery approaches, and he realizes someone is plotting to kill him during his operation. When the anesthesia fails, leaving him lucid throughout the surgery, he tries to solve the mystery and get the information to the only person who can save him.
14 Virgin Territory - 2007
Christensen stepped into historicals in Virgin Territory. Set in Renaissance Italy, Christensen plays Lorenzo, one of several young people seeking refuge in a convent in the countryside - though Lorenzo is there under false pretenses. The lustful adventures that follow send the charming and roguish Lorenzo into a tailspin as he realizes what it means to be in love for real.
13 Jumper - 2008
One of Christensen’s bigger hits, Jumper follows the story of David Rice, who has the ability to “jump” into any location he wants. Using this transportation power, he travels the world, stealing money from bank vaults as he goes. After the villainous Roland Cox captures him with the intent of destroying those like him, David bands together with another “jumping” to take him down. In a fun re-imagining of their Star Wars dynamics, this movie reunites Christensen with Samuel L. Jackson, who plays Roland Cox. Jumper had Christensen nominated for a Teen Choice Award for Best Fight, and also introduced him to Rachel Bilson, with whom he now shares a daughter.
12 New York, I Love You - 2008
Another romantic comedy, New York, I Love You is an anthology-like series of eleven short films comprised together to tell the stories of love in New York. Hayden Christensen appears in the first segment, once again alongside then-fiancée Rachel Bilson, as a pickpocket who falls in love in the middle of a con. This movie very nearly reconnects Christensen with Natalie Portman, who appears in the second short film, but audiences will just have to keep waiting for another opportunity to see Anakin and Pé in live-action together again.
11 Takers - 2008
Takers sees Christensen as a member of a successful band of bank robbers who have achieved incredible success by sticking to a strict set of rules. However, a former associate is released from jail and shows up with a risky plan they just can’t refuse - despite knowing that this member of their team has reason to seek revenge on the rest of the group. Unfortunately, the plan puts them in the path of Russian mobsters as well as a detective hellbent on taking them all down. Christensen’s A.J. is a charismatic and fun character against the action-thriller’s serious setting.
10 Vanishing on 7th Street - 2010
When almost the entire population of Detroit vanishes overnight during a mysterious power outage, Christensen’s character Luke bands together with other survivors of the phenomenon in Vanishing on 7th Street. Eventually, the sun itself stops giving off light, and the darkness becomes the group’s biggest threat. Pulling inspiration from the missing colony at Roanoke, this disaster movie has an element of mysteriousness and dystopia to it.
9 Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey - 2010
Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey is a fun celebration of all things space: most actors in this film have ties to some iconic project set in space, from Star Wars to Star Trek. Though it’s only their voices in the movie, Quantum Quest puts Hayden Christensen alongside James Earl Jones, the original Darth Vader, as well as his “son,” Luke Skywalker, AKA Mark Hamill. This movie reunites Christensen once again with Samuel L. Jackson for the second time since Anakin’s fateful face-off with Mace Windu.
8 “Zamboni” - 2010
Zamboni saw Christensen outside of movies for the first time. Instead, he plays a security guard in a music video for Canadian hip-hop artist Ko-S. Though there isn’t necessarily a story to follow throughout the video, Christensen brings his Anakin-like intensity to the silent role.
7 American Heist - 2014
In American Heist, Christensen’s character James feels indebted to his brother after his brother served a prison sentence for a crime they committed together. After putting his life back together while his brother was serving time, James is finally reunited with his brother. Unfortunately, this also means he's drawn back into the the world of crime.
