Hayden Christensen is a Canadian actor. He appeared in
Canadian television programsCanadian content refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requirements that radio and television broadcasters must air a certain percentage of content that was at least partly written, produced, presented, or otherwise contributed to by persons from...
when he was young, then diversified into American television in the late 1990s. He moved on to minor acting roles before being praised for his role of Sam in
Life as a HouseLife as a House is a 2001 American drama film produced and directed by Irwin Winkler. The screenplay by Mark Andrus focuses on a man who is anxious to repair his relationship with his ex-wife and teenaged son after he is diagnosed with terminal cancer....
, for which he was nominated for a
Golden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
and Screen Actors Guild Award. He gained international fame portraying the young Anakin Skywalker /
Darth VaderDarth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
in
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the ClonesStar Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It is the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the second in terms of the series' internal chronology...
and
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the SithStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology....
.
Early life
Christensen was born in
VancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia, Canada the son of Alie Nelson, a speechwriter for the heads of large companies, and David Christensen, a computer programmer and communications executive. His father is of Danish descent and his mother has Swedish and Italian ancestry. Christensen has an older brother and sister, Tove and Hejsa, and a younger sister, Kaylen. Raised outside
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in
Thornhill, OntarioThornhill is a community in the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the northern border of the city of Toronto. Once a municipal village, Thornhill is now a community and postal designation geographically split into two municipalities along Yonge Street, the city of...
, Christensen attended
E.J. Sand Public SchoolE.J. Sand Public School was founded by Eilert J. Sand, located in Thornhill, Ontario. It is a part of the York Region District School Board. Its graduation ceremonies are held at Vaughan Secondary School.- History :...
,
Baythorn Public SchoolBaythorn Public School is an elementary school in the portion of the community of Thornhill in Markham, Ontario, Canada. The school is named after Baythorn Drive, on which it is located. It is part of the York Region District School Board. Baythorn Public School is known for its Arts Program, which...
and Unionville High School in
Unionville, OntarioUnionville is a suburban village in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is located 33 km northeast of downtown Toronto and 4 km east of southern Richmond Hill. Unionville is located between Woodbine Avenue as the western limit, alongside the Rouge River leading to McCowan Road as the eastern...
, Canada. He was an athlete in high school, playing hockey competitively and tennis on a
provincialA province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
level.
He spent summers in
Long IslandLong Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
with his maternal grandmother, Rose Schwartz, and attended the
Actors StudioThe Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street in the Clinton neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded October 5, 1947, by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, Robert Lewis and Anna Sokolow who provided...
in New York as well as the
Arts YorkArts Unionville , is a four year program offered at Unionville High School specializing in dance, drama, music and visual arts Unionville High School. The high school, through an application process, takes students from all over the Greater Toronto Area...
program for drama at his high school. He was "discovered" when his older sister Hejsa, a former
trampolineA trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched over a steel frame using many coiled springs. People bounce on trampolines for recreational and competitive purposes....
champion, was shopping around for an agent after she landed a role in a
PringlesPringles is a brand of potato and wheat based snacks originally developed by Procter & Gamble. Pringles are sold in more than 140 countries and have yearly sales of more than...
commercial.
1993–2005
Christensen's first acting role was on the television series
Family PassionsFamily Passions was the first hour long television serial produced in Canada and Germany. It was produced and distributed by Baton Broadcasting System and ZDF between 1993 and 1994...
, which aired on Canadian television in September 1993, when he was 12. The following year he acquired a minor role in
John CarpenterJohn Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
's
In the Mouth of MadnessIn the Mouth of Madness is a 1995 American horror film directed by John Carpenter and written by Michael De Luca, who was at the time of the film's release in charge of New Line Cinema...
. From 1995 through 1999, he appeared in several movies and television shows, including
Harrison BergeronHarrison Bergeron is a 1995 cable television movie film loosely adapted from Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 short story of the same name. It was produced for Showtime, and first screened on August 13, 1995.-Premise:...
,
Forever KnightForever Knight was a Canadian television series about Nick Knight, an 800-year-old vampire working as a police detective in modern day Toronto. Wracked with guilt for centuries of killing others, he seeks redemption by working as a homicide detective on the night shift while struggling to find a...
,
GoosebumpsGoosebumps is a series of children's horror fiction novels written by American author R. L. Stine and first published by Scholastic Publishing. It is a collection of stories that feature semi-homogenous plot structures, with fictional children being involved in scary situations...
,
The Virgin SuicidesThe Virgin Suicides is a 1999 American drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola, produced by her father Francis Ford Coppola, starring James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, and A.J...
, and
Are You Afraid of the Dark?Are You Afraid of the Dark? may refer to:* Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a 1992 television series* Are You Afraid of the Dark? , a 2004 novel by Sidney Sheldon...
. He acquired wider notice while starring in Fox Family Channel's television series
Higher GroundHigher Ground is an American-Canadian television show shot outside Vancouver, British Columbia, that aired in 2000. It starred Joe Lando, Hayden Christensen, A.J. Cook, Kandyse McClure and Jewel Staite....
in 2000, portraying a teen who was sexually molested by his
stepmotherA stepfamily, also known as a blended family or reconstituted family, is a family in which one or both members of the couple have children from a previous relationship...
, and then turned to
drugsSubstance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
in his despair.
While Christensen's critically acclaimed portrayal of a misunderstood teenager in
Life as a HouseLife as a House is a 2001 American drama film produced and directed by Irwin Winkler. The screenplay by Mark Andrus focuses on a man who is anxious to repair his relationship with his ex-wife and teenaged son after he is diagnosed with terminal cancer....
(2001) earned him Golden Globe and
SAGThe Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
Award nominations as well as the
National Board of ReviewThe National Board of Review of Motion Pictures was founded in 1909 in New York City, just 13 years after the birth of cinema, to protest New York City Mayor George B. McClellan, Jr.'s revocation of moving-picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908. The mayor believed that the new medium...
's award for Breakthrough Performance of the Year, the performance did not receive widespread public notice. For his part in the movie, Christensen lost 25 pounds through a special diet. He eventually gained the weight back during the filming for
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the SithStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology....
. In 2002, Christensen made his London theater debut co-starring with
Jake GyllenhaalJacob Benjamin "Jake" Gyllenhaal is an American actor. The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Gyllenhaal began acting at age ten...
and
Anna PaquinAnna Helene Paquin is a Canadian-born New Zealand actress. Paquin's first critically successful film was The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994 at the age of 11 – the second youngest winner in history...
in
This Is Our YouthThis Is Our Youth is a 1996 play by American dramatist and screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan.-Production history:Originally produced by The New Group, the play opened at the INTAR Theatre in New York City in October 1996. It later opened at the Douglas Fairbanks Theatre in November 1998...
.
He went on to receive good reviews for 2003's Shattered Glass, which tells the true story of journalist Stephen Glass, who was discovered fabricating stories as a writer for
The New RepublicThe magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
. Peter Travers of
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
writes "Hayden Christensen is sensational as Glass, finding the wonder boy and the weasel in a disturbed kid flying high on a fame he hasn't earned." In 2005, Christensen made his
BroadwayThe Broadway Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1681 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan....
debut when he appeared briefly in a 10-minute play. He was among the big name actors and actresses taking part in the fifth annual "24 Hour Plays" benefit, which raises cash for nonprofit groups in the
Big Apple"The Big Apple" is a nickname for New York City. It was first popularized in the 1920s by John J. Fitz Gerald, a sports writer for the New York Morning Telegraph...
.
Star Wars
On May 12, 2000, Christensen announced that he would be starring as Anakin Skywalker in the next two prequels
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the ClonesStar Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It is the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the second in terms of the series' internal chronology...
(2002) and
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the SithStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology....
(2005). Director
George LucasGeorge Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
had turned down such big names as
Leonardo DiCaprioLeonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
and Ryan Phillipe for the role, as well as 1,500 other candidates.
Lucas is quoted as saying that he chose Christensen because he "needed an actor who has that presence of the
dark sideThe dark side of the Force is a prominent moral, philosophical, and psychic concept in the Star Wars universe. It is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, and appears in all subsequent Star Wars fiction...
" that was essential to solidify the story that Lucas was trying to tell: The tragic fall of Anakin Skywalker and the rise of
Darth VaderDarth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
. In the final two films of the prequel trilogy, Christensen was the only actor portraying a
JediThe Jedi are characters in the Star Wars universe and the series's main protagonists. The Jedi use a power called the Force and weapons called lightsabers, which emit a controlled energy flow in the shape of a sword, in order to serve and protect the Republic and the galaxy at large from conflict...
who was not allowed to customize his character's
lightsaberA lightsaber is a fictional weapon in the Star Wars universe, a "laser sword." It consists of a polished metal hilt which projects a blade of light about 1.33 metres long. The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Jedi order and their Sith counterparts, both of whom can use them for close...
. This was because in Attack of the Clones, Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber was built to be reminiscent of Darth Vader's lightsaber in the original trilogy, while in Revenge of the Sith, Anakin's lightsaber was designed to match the lightsaber that
Obi-Wan KenobiObi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is one of several primary characters in the Star Wars series. Along with Darth Vader, R2-D2, and C-3PO, he is one of the few major characters to appear in all six Star Wars films...
gives to
Luke SkywalkerLuke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
, in
Star Wars Episode IV: A New HopeStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
.
Christensen, during the production of Revenge of the Sith, asked Lucas if a special Vader suit could be constructed to fit his own body, rather than have a different actor don one of the original sets of Vader armor worn by
David ProwseDavid Prowse, MBE is an English former bodybuilder, weightlifter and actor, most widely known for playing the role of Darth Vader in physical form. In Britain, he is also remembered as having played the Green Cross Code man...
. Lucas agreed, and a suit was engineered to fit Christensen's frame, even including extensions to allow for the actor to attain Vader's 6 in 6 in (1.98 m). His voice as the "robotic" Vader, however, was dubbed over by
James Earl JonesJames Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
, who first made it famous in the original trilogy.
Stock footage of Christensen was used in the 2004 DVD release of
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the JediStar Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...
, where he was inserted in place of actor
Sebastian ShawSebastian Lewis Shaw was an English actor, director, novelist, playwright and poet. During his 65-year career, Shaw appeared in dozens of stage performances and more than 40 film and television productions....
. This was one of the most controversial changes. Christensen insists this was done without his knowledge, an act that is confirmed by
LucasfilmLucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO....
itself in the featurette "Return of the Jedi: What has changed?" as seen on the official website to commemorate the 2006 DVDs.
Christensen's role as Anakin Skywalker made him a star. Although his performance was met with generally mixed reviews by critics (earning him the Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor in both Episodes II and III) he became popular among audiences, being named in both
People magazineIn 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
's 50 Most Beautiful People and Teen Peoples 25 Hottest Stars under 25. Christensen continued to work a little more with Star Wars: He was the basis of Anakin Skywalker's fighting style in the video game adaption of Revenge of the Sith and reprised his role of Anakin uncredited via archive sounds in the video game
Lego Star Wars: The Video GameLego Star Wars: The Video Game is a video game based on the Star Wars themed toy line by the Lego Group and the first game in TT Games' Lego videogame franchise. It takes place during the prequel trilogy , with a bonus segment from A New Hope...
and
LEGO Star Wars: Revenge of the BrickLego Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick is a brickfilm loosely based on Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Revenge of the Brick premiered on the Cartoon Network on 8 May 2005, at 7:00 p.m. EST. The movie can now be seen in QuickTime format on the Lego website or directly downloaded...
.
2006–present
Between 2006 and 2007, he replaced
Jared LetoJared Joseph Leto is an American actor, director, producer, occasional model and musician. Leto has appeared in both big budget Hollywood films and smaller projects from independent producers and art houses. He rose to prominence for playing Jordan Catalano in the teenage drama My So-Called Life...
in
AwakeAwake is a 2007 American crime/supernatural/conspiracy thriller written and directed by Joby Harold. It stars Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard and Lena Olin. The film was released in the United States and Canada on November 30, 2007....
, with
Jessica AlbaJessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
, which tells the story of a man who remains
awake but paralyzedAnesthesia awareness, or unintended intra-operative awareness occurs during general anesthesia, on the operating table, when the patient has not been given enough of the general anesthetic or analgesic to render the patient unconscious during general anesthesia...
during heart surgery, and in
Factory GirlFactory Girl is a 2006 American biographical film based on the life of 1960s underground film star, socialite, and Warhol Superstar Edie Sedgwick. The film premiered in Los Angeles on December 29, 2006.-Plot:...
, opposite
Sienna MillerSienna Rose Diana Miller is a British-American actress, model, and fashion designer, best known for her roles in Layer Cake, Alfie, Factory Girl, The Edge of Love and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. In 2007, the London Film Criticsnamed her British Actress of the Year for Interview...
and
Guy PearceGuy Edward Pearce is an English-born Australian actor and musician, known for his roles as Leonard Shelby in Christopher Nolan's Memento, Lieutenant Ed Exley in L.A...
. Christensen next starred with
Samuel L. JacksonSamuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
,
Jamie BellAndrew James Matfin "Jamie" Bell is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the films Billy Elliot , King Kong , Hallam Foe , Jumper , Defiance , The Eagle and The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn .- Early life :Bell was born in Billingham, in the Borough of...
and
Rachel BilsonRachel Sarah Bilson is an American actress. Bilson grew up in a California show business family, and made her television debut in 2003, subsequently becoming well known for playing Summer Roberts on the prime time drama series The O.C. Bilson made her film debut in the 2006 film The Last Kiss and...
in the film
JumperJumper is a 2008 American science fiction film, loosely based on the 1992 science fiction novel of the same name by Steven Gould. The film is directed by Doug Liman and stars Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Max Thieriot, AnnaSophia Robb, and Diane Lane...
, the story of a young man who discovers he has the ability to
teleportTeleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
; the film was released on February 14, 2008. Bilson and Christensen co-starred again in the same segment of the film
New York, I Love YouNew York, I Love You is a 2009 romance film released in the United States on October 16, 2009. From the producer of Paris, je t'aime, it stars an ensemble cast, among them Bradley Cooper, Shia LaBeouf, Natalie Portman, Anton Yelchin, Hayden Christensen, Orlando Bloom, Irrfan Khan, Rachel Bilson,...
.
Christensen appeared opposite
Mischa BartonMischa Anne Marsden Barton is a British-American fashion model, film, television, and stage actress, best known for her role as Marissa Cooper in the American television series The O.C..-Early life:...
in
Virgin TerritoryVirgin Territory is a 2007 romantic comedy film based upon Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron. It has also been known under the working titles The Decameron, Angels and Virgins, Guilty Pleasures and Chasing Temptation. The film's Italian title Decameron Pie pays tribute to both the title of the...
, which was released directly-to-DVD in North America on August 26, 2008. The film, based on
The DecameronThe Decameron, also called Prince Galehaut is a 14th-century medieval allegory by Giovanni Boccaccio, told as a frame story encompassing 100 tales by ten young people....
, is about a group of people who escape the Black Plague epidemic by hiding out in a
TuscanTuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
villa in Italy.
Christensen appeared in the crime drama
TakersTakers is a 2010 crime film directed by John Luessenhop from a story and screenplay written by Luessenhop, Gabriel Casseus, Peter Allen, John Rogers, and Avery Duff. It features an ensemble cast that includes Matt Dillon, Chris Brown, Idris Elba, T.I., Jay Hernandez, Paul Walker, Hayden...
released in the United States on August 27, 2010.
Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space OdysseyQuantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey is a 2010 animated educational sci-fi adventure film, written by Harry 'Doc' Kloor and directed by Kloor and Dan St. Pierre, as a science fiction film that takes the viewer on an atomic adventure in space.The voice cast originally included Christian Slater,...
will be the fourth film in which Christensen will star with
Samuel L. JacksonSamuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
.
In October 2009 he started shooting the
horror filmHorror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
Vanishing on 7th StreetVanishing on 7th Street is a 2011 American post-apocalyptic horror-thriller film directed by Brad Anderson and starring Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton and John Leguizamo.-Plot:...
, directed by Brad Anderson, alongside
Thandie NewtonThandiwe Nashita "Thandie" Newton is a British actress. She has appeared in a number of British and American films, including The Pursuit of Happyness, Mission: Impossible II, Crash, Run, Fatboy, Run and W....
and
John LeguizamoJonathan Alberto "John" Leguizamo is an Colombian-American actor, producer, voice artist, and comedian.-Early life:...
. Christensen recently has been cast in the role of Joe Lassiter in
David R. EllisDavid Richard Ellis is an American film director and former stuntman.-Life and career:Ellis was born in Hollywood, California. He began his career in the film industry as a supporting actor in juvenile roles; his big screen debut was in the 1975 Kurt Russell film The Strongest Man in the World...
's upcoming film, The Genesis Code.
In 2010 Christensen sued
USA NetworkUSA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
over allegations that they stole his idea for the TV show
Royal PainsRoyal Pains is a USA Network television series that premiered on June 4, 2009, starring Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Jill Flint and Reshma Shetty. The series is based in part on actual concierge medicine practices of independent doctors and companies...
. The suit alleges that Christensen met with USA to pitch a similar series entitled "Housecalls". During the meeting, Christensen alleges, he was never informed that a similar program was in development.
Personal life
In 2007, Christensen began dating actress
Rachel BilsonRachel Sarah Bilson is an American actress. Bilson grew up in a California show business family, and made her television debut in 2003, subsequently becoming well known for playing Summer Roberts on the prime time drama series The O.C. Bilson made her film debut in the 2006 film The Last Kiss and...
, whom he had met the previous year while filming
JumperJumper is a 2008 American science fiction film, loosely based on the 1992 science fiction novel of the same name by Steven Gould. The film is directed by Doug Liman and stars Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Max Thieriot, AnnaSophia Robb, and Diane Lane...
. They became engaged on December 25, 2008. In mid-2010, the couple split up, but were dating again a few months later.
Christensen performed a public service announcement for
Do SomethingDo Something is a non-profit organization that motivates young people to take action around social changes through national campaigns and grants for projects that make an impact. The organization's CEO is Nancy Lublin, who founded Dress for Success in 1996.-History:The organization was co-founded...
's Teens for Jeans Campaign in 2008. He appeared as a model in
Louis VuittonLouis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
's advertising and was also named as the face of Lacoste's newest fragrance, Lacoste Challenge. Featured in RED’s new
Lazarus Effect CampaignThe Lazarus Effect is a 2010 documentary film about the positive impact of free antiretroviral drug therapy on HIV/AIDS patients in Africa. It was directed by Lance Bangs, and executive produced by Spike Jonze, after an organizer from AIDS awareness group suggested the project to them...
, which is intended to increase awareness for its efforts to fight AIDS in Africa.
Filmography
| Film |
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1995 |
In the Mouth of Madness In the Mouth of Madness is a 1995 American horror film directed by John Carpenter and written by Michael De Luca, who was at the time of the film's release in charge of New Line Cinema...
|
Paper Boy |
|
| Street Law |
Young John Ryan |
Limited release |
| 1998 |
The Hairy Bird The Hairy Bird , also released under the titles Strike! and All I Wanna Do , is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Sarah Kernochan...
|
Tinka's Date |
|
| 1999 |
The Virgin Suicides The Virgin Suicides is a 1999 American drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola, produced by her father Francis Ford Coppola, starring James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, and A.J...
|
Jake Hill Conley |
|
| Free Fall Free Fall is a 1999 American/Canadian made-for-television action / drama film directed by Mario Azzopardi with a screenplay by Ken Wheat and Jim Wheat based upon a story by Mark Homer.- Background and release :...
|
Patrick Brennan |
Limited release |
| 2001 |
Life as a House Life as a House is a 2001 American drama film produced and directed by Irwin Winkler. The screenplay by Mark Andrus focuses on a man who is anxious to repair his relationship with his ex-wife and teenaged son after he is diagnosed with terminal cancer....
|
Sam Monroe |
Young Hollywood Award One to Watch – Male The Young Hollywood Awards is an award presented annually which honors the year's biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, as voted on by teenagers aged 13–19 and young adults. The award ceremonies also honor rising and promising young aged performers in Hollywood...
National Board of Review – Best Breakthrough Performance by an ActorThe National Board of Review of Motion Pictures was founded in 1909 in New York City, just 13 years after the birth of cinema, to protest New York City Mayor George B. McClellan, Jr.'s revocation of moving-picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908. The mayor believed that the new medium...
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion PictureThe Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1944 for a performance in a motion picture released in the previous year....
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture
Nominated – Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Breakthrough PerformanceThe Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Breakthrough Performance is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best breakthrough performance of the year.-Winners:...
Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Awards – Most Promising Performer |
| 2002 |
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It is the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the second in terms of the series' internal chronology...
|
Anakin SkywalkerDarth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
|
Cannes Film Festival – Male RevelationThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
Razzie Award for Worst Supporting ActorThe Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst supporting actor of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated. Brooke Shields is the...
Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger ActorThe following are a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Performance by a Younger Actor:- References :* , Saturn Awards...
Nominated – Saturn Award – Cinescape Genre Face of the Future AwardThe Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
Nominated – Teen Choice Awards – Choice Movie Actor: Action/AdventureThe Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
Nominated – Teen Choice Awards – Choice ChemistryThe Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
(Shared with:Natalie PortmanNatalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
) |
| 2003 |
Shattered Glass |
Stephen Glass |
Las Palmas Film Festival – Best Actor The Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival is an international film festival that is held in Las Palmas in the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. The festival takes place every year...
(Shared with:Peter SarsgaardJohn Peter Sarsgaard is an American film and stage actor. He landed his first feature role in the movie Dead Man Walking in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films Another Day in Paradise and Desert Blue. That same year, Sarsgaard received a substantial role in The Man in the Iron...
)
Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture DramaThe Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama is an annual award given by the International Press Academy as one of its Satellite Awards.- 1996–1999 :- 2000–2009 :-2010–2019:...
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| 2004 |
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the JediStar Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand and written by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan. It is the third film released in the Star Wars saga, and the sixth in terms of the series' internal chronology...
(2004 re-release) |
Anakin SkywalkerDarth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
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Replaced Sebastian ShawSebastian Lewis Shaw was an English actor, director, novelist, playwright and poet. During his 65-year career, Shaw appeared in dozens of stage performances and more than 40 film and television productions....
(as the ghost of young Anakin Skywalker at the end of movie only) |
| 2005 |
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the SithStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology....
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Anakin Skywalker/Darth VaderDarth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
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ShoWest – Male Star of Tomorrow
MTV Movie Award for Best VillainThis is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Villain.-References:...
Razzie Award for Worst Supporting ActorThe Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst supporting actor of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated. Brooke Shields is the...
Nominated – Saturn Award – Best ActorThe Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best FightThe MTV Movie Award for Best Fight is an award presented to actors and characters for quality fight scenes in films at the MTV Movie Awards, a ceremony established in 1992. Honors in several categories are awarded by MTV at the annual ceremonies, and are chosen by public vote...
(Shared with:Ewan McGregorEwan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor. He has had success in mainstream, indie, and art house films. McGregor is perhaps best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting , young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy , and poet Christian in the...
)
Nominated – Teen Choice Awards – Choice Movie Actor: Action/AdventureThe Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
Nominated – Teen Choice Awards – Choice Movie Bad GuyThe Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
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| 2006 |
Factory Girl Factory Girl is a 2006 American biographical film based on the life of 1960s underground film star, socialite, and Warhol Superstar Edie Sedgwick. The film premiered in Los Angeles on December 29, 2006.-Plot:...
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Billy Quinn/Musician |
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| 2007 |
AwakeAwake is a 2007 American crime/supernatural/conspiracy thriller written and directed by Joby Harold. It stars Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard and Lena Olin. The film was released in the United States and Canada on November 30, 2007....
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Clay Beresford Jr. |
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Virgin TerritoryVirgin Territory is a 2007 romantic comedy film based upon Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron. It has also been known under the working titles The Decameron, Angels and Virgins, Guilty Pleasures and Chasing Temptation. The film's Italian title Decameron Pie pays tribute to both the title of the...
|
Lorenzo de Lamberti |
Limited release |
| 2008 |
Jumper Jumper is a 2008 American science fiction film, loosely based on the 1992 science fiction novel of the same name by Steven Gould. The film is directed by Doug Liman and stars Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Max Thieriot, AnnaSophia Robb, and Diane Lane...
|
David Rice |
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Fight The MTV Movie Award for Best Fight is an award presented to actors and characters for quality fight scenes in films at the MTV Movie Awards, a ceremony established in 1992. Honors in several categories are awarded by MTV at the annual ceremonies, and are chosen by public vote...
(Shared with:Jamie BellAndrew James Matfin "Jamie" Bell is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the films Billy Elliot , King Kong , Hallam Foe , Jumper , Defiance , The Eagle and The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn .- Early life :Bell was born in Billingham, in the Borough of...
) |
| 2009 |
New York, I Love You New York, I Love You is a 2009 romance film released in the United States on October 16, 2009. From the producer of Paris, je t'aime, it stars an ensemble cast, among them Bradley Cooper, Shia LaBeouf, Natalie Portman, Anton Yelchin, Hayden Christensen, Orlando Bloom, Irrfan Khan, Rachel Bilson,...
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Ben |
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| 2010 |
Takers Takers is a 2010 crime film directed by John Luessenhop from a story and screenplay written by Luessenhop, Gabriel Casseus, Peter Allen, John Rogers, and Avery Duff. It features an ensemble cast that includes Matt Dillon, Chris Brown, Idris Elba, T.I., Jay Hernandez, Paul Walker, Hayden...
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A.J. (The Builder) |
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| Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey is a 2010 animated educational sci-fi adventure film, written by Harry 'Doc' Kloor and directed by Kloor and Dan St. Pierre, as a science fiction film that takes the viewer on an atomic adventure in space.The voice cast originally included Christian Slater,...
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Jammer (voice) |
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| 2011 |
Vanishing on 7th Street Vanishing on 7th Street is a 2011 American post-apocalyptic horror-thriller film directed by Brad Anderson and starring Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton and John Leguizamo.-Plot:...
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Luke Ryder |
Limited release |
| Television |
| Year |
Show |
Role |
Notes |
| 1993 |
Family Passions Family Passions was the first hour long television serial produced in Canada and Germany. It was produced and distributed by Baton Broadcasting System and ZDF between 1993 and 1994...
|
Skip McDeere |
Soap opera |
| 1995 |
Love and Betrayal: The Mia Farrow Story |
Fletcher |
Television film |
| Harrison Bergeron Harrison Bergeron is a 1995 cable television movie film loosely adapted from Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 short story of the same name. It was produced for Showtime, and first screened on August 13, 1995.-Premise:...
|
Eric |
Television film |
| 1996 |
No Greater Love No Greater Love, also known as Danielle Steel's No Greater Love, is a 1996 television film directed by Richard T. Heffron. The film is based upon the 1991 novel of the same name written by Danielle Steel.- Plot :...
|
Teddy Winfield |
Television film |
| Forever Knight Forever Knight was a Canadian television series about Nick Knight, an 800-year-old vampire working as a police detective in modern day Toronto. Wracked with guilt for centuries of killing others, he seeks redemption by working as a homicide detective on the night shift while struggling to find a...
|
Andre |
Episode: Fallen Idol |
| 1997 |
GoosebumpsGoosebumps is a Canadian children's horror anthology television series based on R. L. Stine's Goosebumps books.-Networks:...
|
Zane |
Two episodes: Night of the Living Dummy III |
| 1999 |
Real Kids, Real Adventures |
Eli Goodner |
Episode: Paralyzed: The Eli Goodner Story |
| Are You Afraid of the Dark? Are You Afraid of the Dark? may refer to:* Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a 1992 television series* Are You Afraid of the Dark? , a 2004 novel by Sidney Sheldon...
|
Kirk |
Episode: The Tale of Bigfoot Ridge |
The Famous Jett JacksonThe Famous Jett Jackson is a joint Canadian and American Disney Channel Original Series coming-of-age television series for children ages 12–16 about a boy named Jett Jackson who plays a teenage secret-agent on a fictional TV show-within-a-show called Silverstone...
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Steven |
Episode: Popularity |
| 2000 |
Trapped in a Purple HazeTrapped in a Purple Haze is a TV movie about drug abuse which originally aired on ABC in 2000; its title is a reference to the Jimi Hendrix song Purple Haze...
|
Orin Krieg |
Television film |
Higher GroundHigher Ground is an American-Canadian television show shot outside Vancouver, British Columbia, that aired in 2000. It starred Joe Lando, Hayden Christensen, A.J. Cook, Kandyse McClure and Jewel Staite....
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Scott Barringer |
Television drama |
External links
- Hayden Christensen Interview, Hayden Christensen talks about his role as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It is the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the second in terms of the series' internal chronology...