To lend his features to the imposing Darth Vader in the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series, Hayden Christensen did not hesitate to follow a very intense preparation by taking a total of fifteen additional kilos!
In addition to the presence of Ewan McGregor, the Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries also saw Hayden Christensen make a comeback in the Star Wars universe, seventeen years after the release of the film Revenge of the Sith, to lend again his features to Anakin Skywalker, but also to his evil alter-ego Darth Vader.
To enter the costume of the Dark Lord, the Canadian actor had to undergo intense preparation, as he explained to the American magazine Fatherly ; to better get into the skin of the character, the latter did not hesitate to put on fifteen kilos, to which were added several hours of make-up per day.
I think it was a very important step for me. I needed to become that character again, physically. So I consumed as many calories as possible. I gained about 30 pounds before I put on the Vader costume. (…) But I wanted to avoid having the belly of a father. I wanted to keep this body after filming was over, but in the end I went back to my old diet. And I more or less melted away after that.
Back to his usual weight, Hayden Christensen may have to submit to this extreme diet again, especially for the needs of the Ahsoka Tano series in which he is supposed to appear. Or if the Darth Vader spin-off that many fans of the Star Wars universe are waiting for were to see the light of day. One thing is in any case certain: his role in Obi-Wan Kenobi will not mark the very last appearance of Hayden Christensen in the Star Wars universe!
The Obi-Wan Kenobi mini-series (6 episodes), available now on the Disney+ platform.