Posted in: Disney+, Star Wars, TV | Tagged: Ahsoka, ahsoka tano, Hayden Christensen, Obi Wan Kenobi, rosario dawson, star wars, The Clone Wars

Ahsoka: Hayden Christensen Felt Like a "Giddy Boy" in Star Wars Return

Hayden Christensen reflects on his Star Wars return, working with Dave Filoni as The Clone Wars-era Anakin Skywalker for Ahsoka & more.

Hayden Christensen was one of the Star Wars prequel film's greatest comeback stories along with Ahmed Best. Both made their way back to their franchise after dealing with the best and worst of the community had to offer, returning during the Disney era with Best making his franchise live-action debut as Jedi Kelleran Beq in The Mandalorian season three after decades of work as the voice of Jar-Jar Binks. Christensen, who made his franchise debut in 2002's Attack of the Clones taking over the role of Anakin Skywalker from Jake Lloyd, would face his share of controversy through 2005's Revenge of the Sith when he transitioned to Darth Vader. The actor also made his franchise return for two Disney+ live-action series Obi-Wan Kenobi and, more recently, Ahsoka. Christensen spoke to Entertainment Weekly about returning to the character's earlier roots for the Dave Filoni-created series.

When asked if Christensen knew of Lucasfilm's plans beyond his return in Obi-Wan that reunited him with his prequel co-star Ewan McGregor, "No, I did not. I had heard about the 'Ahsoka' project, but there was no mention of my involvement when we were doing the Obi-Wan show. And it wasn't really until we wrapped on that when I got a really nice phone call from Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau sort of inviting me into the fold," he recalled. "I was thrilled. I mean, any opportunity to get to do more with this character is thoroughly exciting for me. And to get to work with Dave Filoni and follow his lead was just a real privilege. He knows this character so well, and just the way he had conceived of incorporating him into this story, I thought was just so smart and just a very sort of compelling take on the character, and it was all just really, really thrilling."

While AoTC and RotS provided the foundation for Filoni's animated series The Clone Wars, the character of Ahsoka Tano was an original character and primary protagonist of the series and was never mentioned in the live-action films as Filoni cast Ashley Eckstein in that role with Matt Lanter voicing her Master that would be the very same Anakin that would doom the Jedi Order in Episode III. Christensen's return offered the actor his first opportunity to play within Filoni's TCW universe opposite Rosario Dawson playing the older Ahsoka in The World Between Worlds and her younger counterpart physically played by Ariana Greenblatt in flashback sequences in the Ahsoka episode "Part Five: Shadow Warrior" that saw the two back in the Clone Wars.

"I really just wanted to bring to life what was on the page. What Dave wrote was just so exciting. I was getting to play a version of this character that I hadn't done before. And when we meet Anakin in the World Between Worlds, it's sort of me getting to play the totality of Anakin and Darth Vader," Christensen said. "It's an understanding of everything that he's been through. And then when we go back to the Clone Wars flashback, that was just awesome."

The actor broke down how he was barely able to scratch the surface of the character during the films. "That was a version of the character that I was aware of when we were doing the prequels. When we went to go do Episode III, George [Lucas] spoke a lot about what had happened between Episode II and Episode III. And, of course, that was what Dave Filoni spent a lot of time exploring in the animated world, but I never really got to play that. And I remember when George was describing Anakin during the Clone Wars as being this great hero and a great leader, I thought, 'Wow, that's really cool. I wish we could see a little bit of that,'" Christensen recalled. "And we do a little bit. At the beginning of Episode III, you get a taste of it, but then very quickly, he becomes consumed with all of the inner conflict again. And then, when I went and was preparing for Obi-Wan, I went and I watched The Clone Wars and I got to see that version of Anakin. I was very taken with it, and I thought, 'Man, that would be really exciting to get to do that in live action.' And so when Dave told me that we were going to get to do that, it was a real gift, and I just felt very privileged to get to do it."

For more, including how Christensen contrasts his and Lanter's take, getting to play into that space only Lanter has done before, working with Dawson and Greenblatt, and fight choreography, you can check out the interview here. Season one of Ahsoka is available on Disney+.

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