The Huge Star Wars Character Leonardo DiCaprio Turned Down - And Why
As it approaches 50 years since its creation, the "Star Wars" franchise has welcomed in a staggering number of A-list stars. Bea Arthur, Liam Neeson, Carl Weathers, and countless others have impacted the galaxy far, far away over the years. Working on the franchise remains a bucket list item for many actors, though not everyone is able to make it happen. For instance, big screen great Gary Oldman missed out on his chance to play a "Star Wars" movie character, and so did Leonardo DiCaprio. However, in his case, he actually turned the opportunity down.
In 2010, DiCaprio spoke with Shortlist, where he discussed being considered to play Anakin Skywalker in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy. "I did have a meeting with George Lucas about that as well, yes," he said when asked about the claim that he was in talks to play the Chosen One at one point. Continuing, he elaborated on why he ultimately elected not to pursue the part further. "Just didn't feel ready to take that dive. At that point," DiCaprio explained, citing the same reasoning for him not chasing the role of Robin in 1995's "Batman Forever." This is hardly unusual for the Oscar-winning actor: DiCaprio has turned down several huge roles during his career.
Even though DiCaprio didn't have any interest in playing Anakin, his speaking to Lucas about it led actor Hayden Christensen to worry he had no chance to win the coveted role.
DiCaprio's talks made Christensen feel he had no shot at the Anakin role
Despite the role originating with Sebastian Shaw in "Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi," few would argue that Hayden Christensen isn't the Anakin Skywalker actor. His work in "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones" and "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith," while widely derided at the time, is now recognized as perfect for the character. Thus, his return to "Star Wars" for both "Obi-Wan Kenobi" and "Ahsoka" on Disney+ was applauded. With that in mind, it's surprising to learn that he thought he had no chance at the part thanks to Leonardo DiCaprio's meeting with George Lucas.
"That just confirmed my thought that the role would go to another actor. Through the entire auditioning process I had told myself, from day one, that I wasn't going to get the part," Christensen told Empire Magazine of his feelings upon learning of DiCaprio and other actors — including a member of the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" gang, who "almost" had it — being considered for the job. Little did he know that DiCaprio didn't want it, and soon enough, he learned that Lucasfilm had chosen him to play Anakin. "I just felt very lucky to have it. I was really thrilled that I was gonna get to express George's mapping out of how someone goes from good to bad," Christensen added.
All in all, it's safe to say that the Anakin Skywalker part went to the right person. Hayden Christensen has portrayed him like no other, and meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio has gone on to enjoy a fruitful career filled with accolades away from the "Star Wars" universe.