Hayden Christensen's journey in the Star Wars franchise may have started quite rocky. Still, there's no denying that the Anakin Skywalker actor would eventually win the hearts of fans all over the galaxy and even his biggest critics.
While it's already hard for many to see a different actor playing Ani, Hayden revealed that during his audition process, he didn't really think he'd be able to secure the coveted role.
Also Read: Star Wars: Hayden Christensen Admittedly Felt Sorry After Filming Youngling Scene
Star Wars: Hayden Christensen Recalls Learning About Leonardo DiCaprio's Audition
Speaking with Empire Magazine, Christensen recalled his initial doubts about auditioning for the prequels, especially after learning about the names he was going up against, including Leonardo DiCaprio.
He said: "I had heard that they'd met with Leonardo and a bunch of other actors. That just confirmed my thought that the role would go to another actor."
The Ahsoka star admittedly ruled out the possibility of him getting the part which in the end became beneficial to his psyche. "Through the entire auditioning process I had told myself, from day one, that I wasn't going to get the part. It just wasn't a possibility. And I think that probably helped me a lot because it just freed me up in a lot of ways. And so it really came as a surprise to me when I got the part."
Also Read: Hayden Christensen on Anakin Skywalker's Youngling Killing Spree: "I Love that George Did it"
Obviously, George Lucas saw something special in Christensen and the rest, as they say, is history. As for DiCaprio, the Oscar-winning actor confirmed in a 2015 interview that he met with Lucasfilm for the prequel trilogy. However, he thought he wasn't "ready to take the dive" at the time.
"I did have a meeting with George Lucas about that, yes. I just didn’t feel ready to take that dive. At that point," DiCaprio explained.
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