Hayden Christensen has paid the ultimate respect to Anakin's Clone Wars actor: "Thank you for keeping Star Wars alive"

Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker in Ahsoka episode 5
(Image credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)

Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen reportedly had some incredible praise for the actor behind his animated Clone Wars counterpart.

According to an excerpt in the upcoming The Dark Side Collection book (via The Holo Files), when Christensen met The Clone Wars' Anakin actor Matt Lanter for the first time, he told him: "Thanks for keeping Star Wars alive."

Lanter portrayed Anakin Skywalker in 95 episodes of The Clone Wars, which charted Anakin's exploits in the titular conflict between the events of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, as well as his growing relationships with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka, AKA 'Snips'.

Christensen, meanwhile, held off on stepping back into the charred boots of the live-action iteration of Anakin Skywalker until 2022's Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney Plus, some 17 years after last portraying the Jedi prodigy-turned-Darth Vader.

He then returned as the character as part of two of Ahsoka's standout episodes opposite Rosario Dawson. There, the pair reunited in the World Between Worlds, a mysterious realm that exists outside of time and space.

The Anakin actor, though, is certainly open to further opportunities in a galaxy far, far away.

"I would love to get to do more, and I'd love to get to continue with Star Wars and we'll see," Christensen told Entertainment Weekly a year ago. "I don't know what the future holds, and if such an opportunity presents itself, I'll be there with a big smile on my face. And if it doesn't, I feel really grateful for getting to come back and getting to do the work that I did in both Obi-Wan and Ahsoka."

For more, check out our guides to upcoming Star Wars movies and how to watch The Clone Wars in order.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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