Hayden Christensen Had To Be Told To Stop Making The Lightsaber Sounds

Star Wars Celebration is a time for fans to all come together with current and past icons from the hit franchise, and this year was no different. While some names are there every year, there are a few stars whose appearances are a bit rarer, and that includes actor Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker in the prequels. He had more than a few stories to share, including an unlikely issue that surfaced during shooting.

Christensen was asked about any challenges he faced during the making of the prequels, and one of them is something anyone with an active imagination has faced at one time or another. He said “I will share with you one of my challenges. I had sort of been conditioned, from a very young age, to make the sound effect when I’m swinging a lightsaber. I know this is something maybe Ewan struggled with a little bit, too, but it was a difficult habit to break. I remember, on a couple of occasions, you would come over after we had filmed a fight scene, and in a very encouraging way, you’d say, ‘Hayden, that looks really great, but I can see your mouth moving. You don’t have to do that, we add the sound effects in afterward.’ I was just so focused that I didn’t know where I was doing it. Still, to this day, I pick up a lightsaber, and I can’t help it. It just happens.”

It’s something you don’t think about, but most can attest to doing the same thing as your extra remote control instantly became your laser pistol with a few improvised sound effects. It’s good to know you’re not the only ones doing it.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, from writer/director Rian Johnson, is in post-production now for a December 15, 2017, release. The film follows-up and continues the story of the next generation of the saga as Rey, Poe, Finn, and Kylo Ren find their place in the galaxy and follow the legacy of Luke Skywalker, Leia, and Han Solo. Daisy Ridley returns to star as Rey, with other returning stars John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson, Gwendoline Christie, Peter Mayhew, Andy Serkis, Anthony Daniels, Lupita Nyong’o Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa. Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern join the cast in as-yet-unrevealed roles.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is slated for release on December 15, 2017.

MORE STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI: Is Luke Skywalker Going To The Dark Side? / Does This Image Call Back To A Big Prequel Moment? / Everything You Missed In The Last Jedi Trailer