Hayden Christensen Recalls Meeting Ewan McGregor on Attack of the Clones

With their long-awaited reunion on screen for Obi-Wan Kenobi fast approaching, Hayden Christensen recounts the first time he met Ewan McGregor on Attack of the Clones. It has been nearly twenty years since Christensen made his first appearance in the Star Wars galaxy as a teenage Anakin Skywalker. Attack of the Clones was the second film in George Lucas's Star Wars prequel trilogy, and it began Anakin on his tragic path from Obi-Wan Kenobi's padawan to the Sith Lord Darth Vader.

When Anakin's descent into the Dark Side was completed in Revenge of the Sith, many assumed that would be the last time Christensen portrayed the Chosen One. Then in December 2020, Disney announced that Christensen would be reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker- now turned Darth Vader- for Disney+ limited series Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ewan McGregor who played the Jedi master Obi-Wan for all three films in the prequel trilogy will also be returning to his role as the star of the Disney+ Star Wars show, and so will Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse as Luke Skywalker's aunt and uncle.

Related: Obi-Wan Is Already Avoiding A Mistake That Killed Book Of Boba Fett

Naturally, this monumental reunion between master and padawan sparked memories for the actors who portrayed them. In a recent interview with EW about the upcoming Obi-Wan series, Christensen recalled meeting McGregor for the first time on Attack of the Clones. Christensen shared that even though the two had never met before, the Obi-Wan actor greeted him like an old friend and that the moment had a huge impact on him. Read Christensen's account of the heart-warming meeting below:

"I remember as soon as you saw me. You said, 'Hayden!' We'd never met before, but you said my name like we were lifelong friends and gave me a big hug and welcomed me into the family. The warmth of your greeting left such a lasting impression and meant a lot."

Christensen's story of meeting McGregor for the first time is a surprisingly pleasant anecdote for the actor to recall considering the actor was criticized so much for his performance in Attack of the Clones at the time of its release. Although the excitement for Star Wars had not dimmed between Return of the Jedi and the prequel trilogy's release, the reception the prequels' cast experienced from fans and critics contrasted harshly to the original trilogy's. McGregor would have already have encountered some of this criticism because of The Phantom Menace, so perhaps he wanted to ensure his co-star enjoyed joining the Star Wars universe as much as possible. Indeed, despite any criticism either actor may have heard, both Christensen and McGregor seemed eager to work together again.

Obi-Wan Kenobi remains one of Disney's most anticipated Star Wars TV shows, and the addition of Christensen as Darth Vader has mainly added even more hype for the series. Fans are definitely eager to see Kenobi and Skywalker share the screen again, and many have forgiven Christensen's acting in Attack of the Clones, especially after the sequel trilogy got mixed reviews. No matter how the former master and apprentice meet in Obi-Wan Kenobi, fans will be excited to see Christensen and McGregor pick up their lightsabers once again.

Next: Darth Vader's Suit Design Origin Always Hinted At His Redemption

Source: EW