12 Actors Who Auditioned to Play Anakin Skywalker in ‘Star Wars’ Movies Before Hayden Christensen Was Cast (One Oscar Winner Turned Down the Role!) | auditions, Casting, EG, evergreen, Extended, Hayde

The Star Wars prequel movies were some of the hottest blockbusters in Hollywood when they were released, and Anakin Skywalker was a very popular role that actors wanted to land!

Booking the part launched Hayden Christensen onto the map.

He famously made his debut in the franchise playing the man who would eventually become Darth Vader in 2002′s Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones . However, he faced intense competition before he was cast.

Before Hayden booked the part, 300 actors reportedly auditioned. In fact, the competition was so star-studded that he admitted that he never expected to be cast .

Over the years, 13 of those actors (including Hayden ) have been identified. The list includes a fan-favorite, award-winning movie star who seemingly turned the ro