Hayden Christensen Understands How Anakin Feels About Sand

There are some weird moments in the Star Wars prequels. But there may not be a stranger one than the sequence in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones when the young Darth Vader, AKA Anakin Skywalker, tries to woo Senator Amidala by confessing his deepest secret: His passionate, unyielding hatred … of sand.

The man who played Anakin in that scene, which has spawned a billion YouTube parody videos and countless memes, is Hayden Christensen. For the first time since the Star Wars prequels, Christensen is back playing Anakin and Vader in Disney’s new TV series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. And in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Christensen was asked about the Attack of the Clones sand scene and his own feelings about it.

And he doesn’t hate it! Or at least he “never had an issue” with Anakin’s intense anti-sand sentiments. In fact, Christensen said he “understood” where Anakin was coming from. Here’s his full quote:

You know, I think it’s funny people have taken such an interest in that line. Some of the dialogue is…different from what you’re maybe expecting. But I never had any issue with that line. (Laughs.) I understood Anakin’s feelings toward sand, but maybe it was a bit of an odd time to bring it up, as he’s flirting with this girl who he has so much affection for. But, you know, he’s Anakin.

You know what? Anakin is right. Sand does suck. It’s coarse and it does get everywhere. You take off your shoes at the beach and within ten seconds, you’ve got sand all over your feet and there’s no getting it off.

Plus, where did this guy grow up? Tatooine! That place is all sand. Emotionally, seeing sand probably reminds him of being a slave, which is bad. And then on top of that, can you imagine growing up on a planet that is just sand everywhere, as far as the eye can see? That alone could drive a guy to turn into a super-villain who helps an Emperor rule the galaxy.

You can watch Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader on Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, which is premiering weekly on Disney+.

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