Hayden Christensen’s performance as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in Star Wars might be the actor’s most iconic, but here are 10 brilliant roles Christensen has played in other shows and movies. Anakin Skywalker is not only one of Star Wars’ best characters but also one of the most influential figures throughout the entire Star Wars timeline. While Darth Vader already existed before Christensen stepped into the role in the prequel trilogy, he brought something truly unique to the character and humanized the man Anakin had been before he donned the mask.
Christensen has since returned to Star Wars movies and TV shows, first in Obi-Wan Kenobi and then in Ahsoka. These appearances were arguably some of Christensen’s best acting to date, but his acting chops haven’t only been shown in Star Wars. These 10 roles in various shows and movies represent Hayden Christensen’s best performances outside of Star Wars.
10 Takers
Hayden Christensen Joined A Crew Of Bank Robbers
Star Wars proved that Hayden Christensen can convincingly play both a hero and a villain, and his filmography has revealed this same versatility. One of Christensen’s slightly older movies, Takers, was released in 2010 and saw the actor step into the role of a robber within a crew of other thieves and criminals. This movie was truly star-studded, with the likes of Idris Elba and Zoe Saldana also appearing in the film.
Admittedly, the movie itself didn’t tread very far off the beaten path of heist movies, but it was delightful to see Christensen in this role. Christensen played A.J., one of the robbers with a slightly smaller part. Even with Christensen’s role not being one of the leads, though, he proved to be a thrill to watch in action sequences—and it was enormously fun to see Christensen wielding a gun for once, rather than a lightsaber.
9 New York, I Love You
Hayden Christensen Played A Thief In An Ensemble Cast
Takers hasn’t been Christensen’s only role as a thief, as he also played Ben, a pickpocket, in New York, I Love You. This movie is a charming romantic comedy following multiple arcs that all interconnect. Because the movie is effectively an anthology of love stories, it has an absolutely massive cast. In addition to Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Bradley Cooper, Orlando Bloom, and even Natalie Portman appear, among others.
Unlike in Star Wars, though, Christensen’s love interest isn’t Natalie Portman, it’s Rachel Bilson, whose character’s name is Molly. Although this is not where Bilson and Christensen met—they first worked on another 2008 movie called Jumper—Bilson and Christensen did end up taking their romance off-screen and were engaged for a time. Perhaps because they shared chemistry in real life, their scenes in New York, I Love You come off as genuine and sweet.
8 Higher Ground
Hayden Christensen Played A Major Role In This Emotional TV Show
Ironically, Hayden Christensen starred in a TV show called Higher Ground, a name that immediately calls to mind the iconic moment in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith when Obi-Wan Kenobi warns Anakin that he has the high ground before slicing off all his flesh limbs and watching as he catches fire on Mustafar. The name was entirely coincidental, however, given that Higher Ground premiered in 2000, 5 years before Revenge of the Sith. This show also showed a very different side of Christensen than did Star Wars.
In the show, Christensen played a teenage athlete, Scott Barringer, with an extremely dark past. When Scott was just 15, his stepmother began sexually abusing him, which set off a series of events, including his father’s cold response and victim-blaming when Scott tried to tell him the truth. Christensen played these scenes beautifully, channeling the emotions of a traumatized teen in a way that felt empathetic and realistic.
7 Little Italy
Hayden Christensen Had A Leading Role In This Charming Romantic Comedy
One of Christensen’s most recent movies, Little Italy, premiered in 2018 and featured actress Emma Roberts as Christensen’s love interest. The movie is a hilarious contemporary Italian Canadian twist on Romeo and Juliet, wherein Christensen’s character, Leo Campo, and Robert’s character, Nikki Angioli, fall in love despite their feuding families. In Little Italy, this feud comes down to competing pizza restaurants.
Little Italy
is the type of movie that is meant to be enjoyed rather than taken too seriously.
Little Italy is the type of movie that is meant to be enjoyed rather than taken too seriously. Reviews were fairly critical, but the movie is a great deal of fun to watch when it is approached in the spirit the movie intends. Christensen’s performance as Leo is charismatic and funny, and although the beats of a romantic comedy are followed fairly closely, the backdrop of competing pizza restaurants made the story unusual enough to be enjoyable. Christensen also does have Italian ancestry (and is Canadian), giving him a unique connection to the story.
6 90 Minutes In Heaven
Hayden Christensen Was The Lead In This Movie Based On A True Story
One of the most distinct characters Christensen has played was his leading role as Don Piper in 90 Minutes in Heaven. The movie is based on a book of the same name, written by the real Don Piper, and documents his near-death experience following a terrible car accident. Piper asserts that during the 90 minutes he was legally dead, he traveled to Heaven.
The story is more emotionally complex than it initially seems, though, as Piper isn’t happy to have survived the harrowing event; he’s angry at God for showing him how incredible Heaven is only to take it away from him. This performance clearly demanded something very different of Christensen than many of his other roles have, including Star Wars, but he executed the character perfectly, capturing the complicated emotions of a man who quite literally came back to life and believes he has seen Heaven.
5 Virgin Territory
Hayden Christensen Plays A Surprising Role In This Comedy Set In 14th Century Italy
Yet another major deviation from most of Christensen’s filmography, Virgin Territory is set in 14th century Italy and follows Christensen’s character Lorenzo and several other characters as they hide out to avoid the plague. The quarantine in Virgin Territory is rather unusual, though, given that the characters pass the time by engaging in romantic and often lusty behavior. Like several of Christensen’s other movies, Virgin Territory is a comedy, which does mean these escapades are intended to be humorous rather than taken completely seriously.
The movie largely delivers, and Christensen’s performance is a major part of that. Christensen unsurprisingly comes across as charming, troublesome, and audacious, a part he plays very well. In fact, with Virgin Territory coming out just two years after Revenge of the Sith, the movie is a bit like seeing Anakin Skywalker if he truly had nothing inhibiting his bad behavior.
4 Jumper
Hayden Christensen Has Unique Powers In This Science Fiction Movie
One of Christensen’s most popular movies outside of Star Wars is Jumper, a 2008 sci-fi thriller in which Christensen played the lead, David Rice. David is a mysterious man with the incredible ability to teleport wherever he wants, which he uses to his advantage by teleporting into bank vaults and stealing money to live off of. Jumper has yet another star-studded cast, including not only Rachel Bilson as Christensen’s love interest once more but also Samuel L. Jackson, whose character Roland dislikes David even more than Mace Windu dislikes Anakin.
Of all Christensen’s movies, this is one of the most narratively serious, and it pays off.
Roland’s job is actually to hunt down and kill ‘jumpers’ like David, which drives the central plot of the movie. Of all Christensen’s movies, this is one of the most narratively serious, and it pays off. While the plot isn’t flawless, it’s a compelling story, and with actors like Christensen and Jackson, it’s certainly one to watch.
3 Awake
Hayden Christensen’s Role In This Terrifying Thriller Is Brilliant
Awake is easily one of Christensen’s very best performances. The movie features Christensen and Jessica Alba as husband and wife, although the story quickly reveals that their love is not what it seems. Alba’s character, Sam, has orchestrated the death of her billionaire husband, Clay, by working with a heart surgeon to intentionally kill Clay during surgery.
What makes this all the more heart-racing is that Christensen’s character, Clay, is awake during surgery, although he is unable to communicate or fully wake up. Throughout the movie, he is caught in this terrifying state, uncovering the truth of his wife’s plot but unsure whether he will survive the surgery or if this will truly be how he dies. The movie demands incredibly emotional scenes from Christensen in light of this plot, and he does a brilliant job portraying a character whose entire life has just crumbled and is now on the line.
2 Life As A House
This Sentimental Story Is One Of Hayden Christensen’s Best Performances
One of Christensen’s very best movies is also one of the most serious he stars in—if not the single most serious. Life as a House is the story of a troubled teen named Sam, played by Christensen, who has a strained relationship with his father, to say the least. What the character doesn’t know, however, is that his father is actually dying of terminal cancer.
Throughout the movie, father and son repair their broken relationship while building a house together, a process which sees each of them transform in powerful ways, although Sam in particular. What unfolds is a truly beautiful story about life, death, and family that is equal parts touching and devastating. While Christensen has often played much more comedic roles—which he also does very well—this story is somber and meaningful, and Christensen is a standout in it.
1 Shattered Glass
This Shocking True Story Is Hayden Christensen’s Best Acting
Hayden Christensen’s best performance, perhaps even better than Star Wars, is in the movie Shattered Glass, in which Christensen stars as the main character, Stephen Glass. Shattered Glass is based on the true story of Stephen Glass, a journalist who was found to have entirely fabricated multiple stories he published. Christensen plays the part of an unstable liar masterfully, so much so that it is easy for viewers to sympathize with him, despite how egregious his behavior is.
Yet again, Christensen proved how impressively he can perform a range of intense emotions, including the at times shocking outbursts Stephen has throughout the movie. Christensen also captured Stephen Glass’ personality and mannerisms with incredible accuracy, which is a skill he had yet to showcase in many other roles. While Star Wars will likely always be Hayden Christensen’s most iconic role, these shows and movies prove that there are plenty of other brilliant characters Christensen has played.
