'Star Wars' Star Hayden Christensen Reveals Why He Left Hollywood + Might Not Be For Reasons You'd Expect

Since the massive reception to Star Wars: Force Awakens, the controversial prequel trilogy (Episodes 1-3) are just a faint memory, and their star Hayden Christensen has been hiding in the shadows ever since their release.

Before Daisy Ridley and John Boyega became the fresh, young faces of Star Wars, Christensen was the most famous newcomer in the galaxy. For most actors having the door to Hollywood so easily open is a dream come true, but not for Hayden. In fact, becoming the sand-hating, power-hungry Anakin Skywalker for George Lucas’ Star Wars prequel trilogy did nothing but steer him away from the fame game … for a while, at least.

In an interview with The Los Angeles Times the actor explained why he disappeared from acting — and how the Dark Side is to blame for it.

“I guess I felt like I had this great thing in ’Star Wars’ that provided all these opportunities and gave me a career, but it all kind of felt a little too handed to me,” he told LA Times. “I didn’t want to go through life feeling like I was just riding a wave.”

Leaving the spotlight is a lot easier then entering it, and this is where we find Christensen at this point in his career.

"You can't take years off and not have it affect your career," he admitted. "But I don't know – in a weird, sort of destructive way, there was something appealing about that to me."

To sum it up, Hayden is looking for obstacles to overcome and to have the feeling of triumph instead having a major franchise hold his hand and walk him up the steps to fame. I respect that.

"There was something in the back of my head that was like, 'If this time away is gonna be damaging to my career, then so be it. If I can come back afterward and claw my way back in, then maybe I'll feel like I earned it.' "

Let's see if he can make it back on top now that his days of Star Wars are in the past... far far away.