Hayden Christensen returns as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode VII, but every Star Wars fan will be surprised to learn that Christensen isn’t dressed as Darth Vader.
In the third episode of the Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series, Darth Vader’s grisly trek through the town of Mapuzo emphasized a fundamental shift in the live-action portrayal of the Sith Lord. Vader is a ruthless killer, and many fans assumed it was actor Hayden Christensen who sent terror and death throughout the galaxy in full-body shots.
Hayden Christensen is NOT wearing the Darth Vader mask for any full-body shots of the Sith Lord, including his murderous stride across Mapozo:
Hayden Christensen is NOT wearing the Darth Vader mask for any full-body shots of the Sith Lord, including his murderous stride across Mapozo:Hayden Christensen is not wearing the #DarthVader outfit for full body shots, according to #ObiWanKenobi performance artist Dmitrious Bistrevsky: “The anguish and betrayal of Hayden’s best friend is the worst burden of the all…”
On Instagram, Suntmant Dmitrious Bistrevsky wrote:
“Darth Vader is performed by three people, and we all collaborated to make the best Darth Vader in film history.” It’s Tom [O’Connell], Hayden, and me. We are in a symbiotic relationship. We all contributed our skills to make the most accurate portrayal of the character. ”
Bistrevsky claims that he and Hayden Christensen are involved in any scenes with Darth Vader acting, while stuntman Tom O’Connell wields Vader’s red lightsaber in the rematch between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader:
“Hayden and I both act in the Darth Vader parts, we provide the persona and emotions (and the agony, sorrow, and rage) I’m 6’7 so when you see a full body shot it looks better having an actor than a CGI fabrication.” Tom is a combat expert. The fights are Tom’s. Hayden suffers the hardest burden of all, the anguish and betrayal of his best friend and once mentor.”
Dmitrious BisWAtrevsky, however, admits that Hayden Christensen did bulk up for the role of Darth Vader:
“I wore the suit, Hayden wore the suit, and Tom wore the suit.” We all worked together to make the finest character we could. We work as a group. There would be no tale for me to tell if Hayden did not exist. He is a buddy of mine, and he worked quite hard on this project. Hayden had bulked up so much that when he appeared on stage, Tom and I both quivered in our muscle suits.”
It took a village to bring Darth Vader back to life in Kenobi, one that appears to have nothing to do with Christensen:
“Yes, I did; I memorized all of my lines just like everyone else.” But we quickly discovered that when I talked angrily, it shook the helmet. So we had a voice actor on set, my friend Dorian, and I would act to his intensity while adding my own character choices. Together with my movement coach/consultant Olga Sokolova, we danced to produce the performance. She and I communicate via secret hand language, so she’d be sending me notes in real time as well. It was a huge dance that should not have worked, yet it turned out beautifully.”
Hayden Christensen gave everything he had for the retaliation of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. Even so, it’s surprising that Christensen doesn’t don the mask for some of the most pivotal scenes involving the masked tyrant in Kenobi’s history to date.
“Always be Updated with us visit GeeksULTD for Real-time Updates”
