Fallen Angels

Ever heard of Hayden Christensen? Well, don't worry, you will. He's been cast as Anakin Skywalker in the next instalment of the Star Wars trilogy. George Mountford explains why it's the worst career move he'll ever make

George Mountford

Tuesday May 23, 2000

Who wouldn't want to be plucked from obscurity, made into a star by one of the world's leading directors and given, apparently, the world at their feet?

Anyone who's smart, that's who.

What does it mean, for example, for Hayden Christensen, who was last week announted by George Lucas as the star of the next Star Wars movie in the prized role of Anakin Skywalker?

A good clue to the next Anakin's future career prospects can be gained by looking at the most recent Anakin's current movie activities. Now, granted, he's still a kid, and his parents, lawyer, agent and personal masseuse have doubtless encouraged him to concentrate on his education. And his apparent lack of acting skills probably have as much to do with the fact that half of his co-stars only ever existed inside a computer (not to mention George Lucas's legendary reluctance to give his actors any guidance). But, face facts, fans of Jake: his only announced role this year is in Madison, "A story about a man's personal struggle to victory in the 1971, Madison, Indiana hydroplane regatta."

The original Skywalker, Mark Hamill himself, was plucked by George from obscurity (well, Fred Flintstone And Friends and Sarah T - Portrait Of A Teenage Alcoholic) to become the most famous farm boy since John-Boy Walton. The work since then has been plentiful (Flash II: The Revenge Of The Trickster) but, I assume, less than fulfilling. Hamill at least starred in all three original movies, so that by the end he was able to command the sort of pay packet likely to banish sleepless nights for the rest of his life.

It's always miserable to be a child, but to become a child star in a big, big film must be like having the biggest party of your life and then never getting to leave your room again. Steven Spielberg has inadvertently screwed up more minors than any other non-lawbreaker in history. Henry Thomas in ET was the first big casualty. Henry's still working, but his CV bears all the hallmarks of the past-their-prime: sequels to movies they weren't in the original of (Psycho IV: The Beginning) and based-on-a-true-story TV movies (Indictment: The McMartin Trial.)

There was Jonathan Ke Quan from the second Indiana Jones movie. There was Joseph Mazzello and Ariana Richards from Jurassic Park, who went on to Stories From My Childhood (presumably featuring "The Day My Agent Didn't Call") and Born Free: A New Adventure. And our own Christian Bale only just managed to escape from Spielberg's shadow. You might notice a simple rule here: nobody, young or old, becomes a star from a Spielberg movie - you either already are, or you never will be.

There's always scope for this sort of tragedy whenever either the main star, director or source material is so strong they could cast anyone (Natasha Henstridge/Anne Widdecombe/Fergie) in the other big roles and it wouldn't matter. And for those others, if they don't remember that they are there solely for Arnold to rescue, a painful dose of reality lies somewhere ahead.

The work won't dry up: some producer somewhere still believes that people went to see Terminator II because of Robert Patrick, so he'll never go hungry. But the quality quantity takes a dive, and that must be tough to take.

But it must be hardest for the kids: Anna Paquin went from nowhere to ubiquity in The Piano, but other than that goose movie (Fly Away Home) must have been working more on an education recently. Of course, she made the extra mistake of winning an Oscar for her breakthrough role, earning the bitter and undying hatred of every other young actress in the English-speaking film world.

Linda Blair went from the Exorcist to Sarah T - Portrait Of A Teenage Alcoholic (where she hopefully gave some good tips to Mark Hamill) and Temptress II (plus episodes of MacGyver and The Love Boat) but, while it's good to be working it can't be quite the same, can it?

Not all child stars are doomed to fail. Haley Joel Osment from the Sixth Sense will probably do well, mainly because he'd done a lot of work before he met Bruce Willis and displays some or all of the characteristics of acting ability.

My advice to Hayden is this: enjoy the ride, keep a close eye on the money, do one more big movie for as much cash as possible and then go back to the real world. Otherwise, in a couple of years, you'll be in The Sixth Sense II: The Seventh Sense.