From Canada to Coruscant, meet the man who would be Vader.
The future Darth Vader has been seen, on more than one occasion, in Neal's Corner Sandwich Shop, opposite the Empire offices. Surprisingly, the semi-regular custom of a Sith Lord raises nary an eyebrow from his fellow diners. Even if you take into account that Vader is never seen in his signature black outfit and more closely resembles a long drink of Canadian water than a future galactic despot, the fact that the man behind the mask can walk among us unremarked upon is still astonishing.Of course, this was back in spring. By summer, Hayden Christensen will find that enjoying a peaceful lunch, like pretty much everything else, has become infinitely more complicated. At this very moment, a soggy Saturday morning in February, all 6' 1" of Hayden Christensen is slumped, teenage-style, over a Chesterfield sofa in a very English hotel. Clone Wars, red carpets, fan boys, seem galaxies away. Recently, Christensen has felt like he has "motion sickness", and he is looking forward to "being grounded" during a three-month theatre stint in London's West End. After that respite, Christensen knows that Star Wars will start moving again - at a hyper-drive pace. "I think I'm sort of aware of what I've got myself into," he offers meekly. The publicist from Lucasfilm cannot help but smile. "Forever," she whispers.
"We have him on the road... forever."The road to Anakin Skywalker began a long time ago in Canada. Aged seven, Christensen, the third of four children, made his professional acting debut in a commercial for something called Captain Powers. At around the same time, his older brother Tove sat him down in front of the TV. "It's time," he said, popping Star Wars into the video. "You're ready." It would take another dozen years for the full significance of these two events to become clear.