(Photos by Shannon Bement)
Article by Colleen Bement, Editor
Saturday With Hayden
3,000 people packed the main events room at Fan Expo Denver with thousands more outside hoping to get in. It was a sellout situation to spend an evening getting to know the actor behind Anakin Skywalker and there was electricity in that ballroom. They came to ask him questions. They came to hear his stories, and Saturday night belonged to Hayden Christensen and his fans. The annual event had just taken over the Colorado Convention Center last weekend June 30 – July 2, 2023, and the chance to meet a “Star Wars” actor who does very few events was one of the reasons people came. Hayden spent the entire day here in the Mile High City signing autographs and snapping photos with his fans, and everyone gushed about how kind and humble he was. The “Star Wars” actor took quality time with each fan and that, of course, led to a couple of delays. Fans understood though. The countdown to Saturday night’s big event, “An Evening with Hayden Christensen” was the hottest ticket! For those who paid the extra to guarantee a seat for the show, it certainly did pay off.
Lightsabers lit up the room and screams of thrilled fans bounced off the walls. Yes, Hayden had arrived. The panel started out with recorded videos from people around the U.S. sharing what “Star Wars” meant to them. He watched the videos along with the rest of the fans with a big smile. He sincerely thanked everyone for being there and for all the love and support. He showed off a gift someone had given him earlier that day. It was a hat with Anakin and Obi-Wan battling with hockey sticks instead of lightsabers, and he in fact wore it in all of his photo ops. He mentioned how amazed he was by all of the talented artists there are out there in the fandom.
Hayden Panel Highlights
- One of the first questions posed to Hayden was with all the lightsaber training that he and Ewan McGregor had, who was the better swordsman? He admitted that it was Ewan as he already had episode 2 under his belt. He added that it was hard to keep up with him because he was so fast, and by episode 3, he felt that he got pretty darn close.
- How had the filmmaking process changed from the prequels to filming “Obi-Wan Kenobi”? His response was that it had been 20 years, and they now employ stagecraft technology where the actors are surrounded by massive LCD screens that actually display the environment. That was a far different experience from back then with the green screens and imagination. The moderator gave a shout-out to all the people who grew up watching the prequels and the room cheered.
- What was Hayden’s introduction to “Star Wars”? His first memories were of seeing his older brother’s bed sheets and all of his amazing toys. He laughed that he wasn’t allowed to play with any of it. He thinks that his brother still has all his toys.
- The next question was about the sparing scene in “Obi-Wan Kenobi”. He chatted about two amazing moments that showed the position of padawan and master. He had a lot to say about the dynamic they had as brothers, the tragedy of Anakin’s turn to the dark side, and the sadness on Obi-Wan’s face. What was it like to film that? Hayden said that it was an incredible experience for him to be able to come back and do those scenes with Ewan. It was really special for him. Getting to do that last scene as Vader was a big deal in that he got to explore new territory and add connected tissue to Anakin and Vader.
- The moderator hosted a game called What Happens Next where Hayden had to watch a movie scene and guess what happened next. The audience loved it and shared a lot of laughter. The crowd especially erupted when Anakin on the screen said I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
- On getting to work with George Lucas, he was such a big fan of his and it was an incredible experience for him to work with him. He was a massive fan of his from “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones.” When he was 13 or 14, he had expressed an interest in filmmaking and his parents bought him a book on George Lucas. He learned all about him and what he had done in the film industry. When it came to working with the master, he said that he is the nicest guy!
- Hayden mentioned how he is a pretty private person and doesn’t share a lot of his opinions. Their public discourse on issues can be pretty polarizing and divisive, and there are plenty of other actors out there doing that. He felt it was important to try to make the conversation a little more tolerant and inclusive. The star spends his time up in Canada on his farm with his family (born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada). He is very close with them and he’s now a dad. His 8-year-old daughter (Briar Rose) means everything to him and becoming a dad has been the greatest joy. He hasn’t shown her the films yet, but he did get to take her to the set with her on “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” What does he take the most pride in? You guessed it: His daughter.
- Currently, he is reading a lot of scripts and trying to figure out what is next. He’s been listening to different types of music, folk music, and has been enjoying classical music lately.
- Hayden loves building ponds! He has projects on the farm, and lately, he’s really gotten into pond construction. He has actually built four ponds. It’s a real passion for him lately, the way you mimic nature, make the sound of running water. When it comes to TV watching, he likes “Succession,” and he just finished a show called “Dave.” No surprise, he watches a lot of TV with his daughter.
- Someone asked if there would be a “Jumper” 2, and he said he would love it. He explained that the original intention was to do more films, and it didn’t end up happening. He’s asked about doing another, and he’d love an opportunity to come back and do another one. We can only hope.
The hour flew by and there was no doubt that it was a highlight of the weekend for many attendees. Hayden Christensen was very genuine. He was kind, and a pleasure to get to know. Let’s hope he comes back to Fan Expo Denver again in the future.
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