Who's that (Single) Guy
Meet total hottie Hayden Christensen, the new face of Star Wars.
by Dina Sansing
Some actors spend years chasing super-stardom. Some never make it. And others, like Hayden Christensen, become famous overnight.
While you can't catch the young Darth Vader on screens until May 2002, Christensen can be seen in the dysfunctional family tearjerker Life As A House, opening October 26. In it, Hayden plays a rebellious, blue-haired and pierced teenager who tries to mend bridges with his ill father (Kevin Kline).But the role was a total stretch for Hayden
"I never went through the rebellion thing," he tells us. "I had a hard time with the idea that [a guy] would wear blue eye-shadow. I guess that's what attracted me to the role. Actors often live vicariously through their characters."
Umm, so does that mean he's never gotten into trouble?
"I have never been grounded. I was so preoccupied with sports [growing up] that I didn't have time to do anything bad," he says. "I was so busy playing tennis and hockey, I didn't have time to do stupid stuff."
A good relationship with his 'rents is keeping this cutie totally grounded during this crazy time. "My parents have a very important role in my life," says Christensen, who continues to live at home. "The lines of communication are open. I don't have anything to hide."
His close pals have also been offering him tons of support: "Since I got Star Wars, my circle of friends have gotten smaller and more defined. The majority of them are not in the acting community. Everything has been changing, but it's been better for me to be in a place that is familiar. I don't think my friends know what's going on around me and that's a good thing."
OK, so we've heard about the friends, the family, and the costar...what about a girlfriend?
"I don't have one. There isn't enough time." Bummer.
Catch Hayden Christensen in Life As A House on October 26, in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones on May 22, and in Episode III in 2005 (if you can wait that long!).
When Star Wars creator George Lucas announced in May 2000 that he had found his grown-up Anakin Skywalker, Christensen's world got turned upside-down. Suddenly, the Vancouver-born, Toronto-bred actor (whose previous credits included a starring role on the Canadian cable series Higher Ground) shot to superstardom -- and he hadn't even started filming the movie that would make him famous.
And now, he has to cope with starring in such a high-profile flick. "If I thought about, it was a lot of pressure" says the 20-year-old, who admits he was a huge Star Wars fan growing up. "So I try to give it as little thought as possible. [Lucas] could have given the role to anyone. I can't really come to terms with why he chose me, other than the fact I look like the kid [from Episode I]," he laughs.
A year and a half after the big announcement, the hype surrounding this once-unknown actor has hardly faded and it's only set to get stronger. But that's a fact of life Hayden. "It's very overwhelming," Christensen tells seventeen.com. "But you have to give it the credence it deserves and not take it too seriously. It's not something you can really prepare for -- especially from where I was coming from."
Hayden's also quickly discovering the downside of superstardom. In other words, rumors, rumors, and more rumors. Before he even walked on to the movie set, gossip hounds had him linked to Star Wars royal Natalie Portman -- a relationship he strongly denies. "As long as they aren't printing the truth in tabloids, I'll okay with it," he says. So how does he feel about his gorgeous co-star? "She's a fine actress. It's really easy to work with her and look at her with adoring eyes."