Hayden Christensen at Star Wars Celebration Orlando in April 2017. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
While Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor survived the critical drubbing the Star Wars prequels met, Hayden Christensen wasn’t so lucky. In the 12 years since he last played Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith, Christensen’s acting career has included just a handful of movies and the 36-year-old Canadian actor has vowed to never work inside the Hollywood system again. Since today is Star Wars Day and he’s an important part of the saga, you might be wondering where he is today.
Christensen has been in a long-term relationship with Rachel Bilson since 2007, after meeting during the making of 2008’s Jumper. Us Weekly reported on September 19 that the two have “officially” split.
Bilson and Christensen, who were once engaged to be married, are parents to 2-year-old Briar Rose Christensen. Christensen has an estimated net worth of $12 million, Celebrity Net Worth estimates.
Here’s a look at what Christensen’s been up to lately.
1. Christensen Appeared at Star Wars Celebration Orlando 2017 to Celebrate 40 Years of Star Wars
Since it’s been 12 years since the last of the prequels hit theaters, the Star Wars fan community has started to welcome Christensen back into the fold, at least based on the warm reception he received at Star Wars Celebration Orlando last month. He appeared with Ian McDiarmid, who played Emperor Palpatine, and George Lucas to talk about the making of the films.
“I had been conditioned from a very young age to make the sound effect when I swing the lightsaber… but it was a difficult habit to break,” Christensen shared. “I remember on a couple of occasions, George, you would come over after we had filmed a fight scene, and in a very encouraging way you would say, ‘Hayden, that looks really great, but I can see your mouth moving. You don’t have to do that. We add the sound effects in afterwards.’”
Christensen even stuck around to sign autographs for fans. Demand was so high that he had to stay in Orlando for more than just one day as he previously planned. It was the first time Christensen attended a Star Wars Celebration since 2002.
2. Christensen Has Stayed Out of Hollywood & Hasn’t Been in a Movie Since 2015
Hayden Christensen in 2014. (Getty)
Christensen was just 19 when he got the role of Anakin Skywalker for 2002’s Attack of the Clones. After Revenge of the Sith opened in 2005, he bought a farm and tried to avoid Hollywood.
In a 2015 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Christensen said he didn’t think he had really earned his sudden fame.
“I guess 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,” Christensen said. “I didn’t want to go through life feeling like I was just riding a wave.”
After Revenge, Christensen took a handful of jobs, including Doug Liman’s Jumper. Although the film was a moderate success, earning $222.2 million worldwide, the movie earned negative reviews and didn’t help Christensen’s career at all.
Christensen recently made two small movies, First Kill and Numb At The Edge of the End, but he hasn’t been seen in a film since the 2015 faith-based movie 90 Minutes in Heaven. That movie made just $4.8 million.
3. Christensen Was in a 10-Year Relationship With Rachel Bilson
Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen in 2013. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Torch)
If you took just a quick glance at Rachel Bilson’s Instagram page, it will be clear that she was still in a relationship with Christensen, as of this past summer. The two are not married, but are parents to daughter Briar Rose Christensen. In April, Bilson wished Christensen a happy birthday. He turned 36 on April 19.
Briar Rose was born on October 29, 2014, Bilson’s representative told People Magazine.
Christensen and the 35-year-old Bilson have been a couple since 2007, meeting on the set of Jumper. The two were engaged to be married in February 2009, but they eventually decided to call the marriage off in 2010.
On September 19, Us Weekly reported that they split. “They are completely, officially done,” a source told the magazine. Bilson is living in Los Angeles full-time, while Christensen lives in Toronto.
4. Christensen’s Older Brother Tove Still Produces
Hayden Christensen (right) and his brother Tove in 2011. (Getty)
Christensen isn’t the only member of his family in show-business. His 44-year-old brother Rove Christensen is a film producer.
Tove’s first film as producer was 2003’s Shattered Glass, which starred Christensen. He was also a producer on American Heist, a 2014 movie Christensen made with Adrien Brody and Jordana Brewster. His most recent film is Hunter’s Prayer, a Sam Worthington actioner that will be released in June.
Christensen and Tove were both born in Vancouver. Their parents are David and Alie Christensen, who are both communications executives. Their sisters are Hejsa and Kaylen.
Kaylen’s IMDb page shows that she had a small role in Mean Girls.
5. Christensen Says His Life Is Still Very ‘Star Wars-Centric’
Although Christensen stayed away from the Star Wars scene for years, he said during an interview at Star Wars Celebration that his life is still “very Star Wars-centric” even though his relationship with the franchise has “evolved” over time.
There have also been Internet rumors that Disney wants Christensen back to play Anakin in some form in the new movies. There’s even a popular YouTube video about how Anakin’s Force Ghost should appear in The Last Jedi. Considering that George Lucas imposed Christensen’s head over Sebastian Shaw’s in the latest editions of Return of the Jedi, Christensen would have to play Anakin’s Force Ghost.
Of course, Disney hasn’t confirmed if Christensen will be in The Last Jedi. We’ll just have to wait until The Last Jedi opens on December 15 to find out.